To Make It Down The Aisle
by FallingWords
Summary: It's time to meet the family. But they're just family, how bad could it be?
1. Chapter 1

Nothing ruined a Saturday morning more than the shrill ringing of a phone at eight thirty. Who would conceivably wake up this early today? The day of the Jewish Sabbath…okay, so neither of them were Jewish, but still…it was a fitting excuse.

"Mmm…five more minutes." Tommy pulled the pillow over his head trying to block out the noise.

Groans of protest came from the woman next to him, "It's not the alarm…" Rolling over, she groped for the phone on the bed side. Well, less groping and more incessant beating on the wood until she found what she was looking for. Picking it up off the cradle, her voice was thick with sleep as she answered "Ello?"

"Oh, I must have the wrong number, I was looking for my grandson, Thomas."

Shit.

"Umm…hold on please." Jude pressed the phone to the mattress before yanking the pillow off of Tommy's head.

"There's a woman looking for her grandson. And I answered the phone. Oh God." Tommy managed to pry one eye open and look at her as if she were crazy.

"Wrong number." He mummbled before trying to pull the covers over his head.

"I think not." She pulled them back down and he whined in protest as she thrust the phone at him.

Though his pouting he answered, his voice also obviously tired. "Hello?"

"Thomas! Is that you?"

That voice. Oh God. His eyes shot open wide and fully alert now. "Grand-mère. You're calling me. At home. So early. And on a Saturday."

"Of course Thomas. It's the Home's Saturday Brunch. I just had some free time before I went down there and I wanted to call and see how my favorite grandson was doing."

"Yeah, now I'm your favorite." He grumbled to himself and Jude giggled, laying back down and hugging the sheets closer to her body.

"What was that, Thomas?"

"I said I'm glad I'm your favorite, Grand-mère."

"Ah, that's what I thought, but you can never be so sure, especially with everything falling apart. Let me tell you, take advantage of your youth Thomas! It's all downhill after 50. Your hearing goes, you have arthritis, vision is shot…"

"Grand-mère, I hate to rush this conversation, but did you call for a reason?"

There was a long pause and the line was silent. "Grand-mère?"

"Your thinking and mind go too, along with everything else…oh! I remember what I called for now, Thomas. I was reading the newspaper yesterday and found another silly rumor about you."

Tommy let out a sigh. This was why she called? Rumors about Tommy and his personal and professional life were a dime a dozen. This was nothing new and he thought that his family had learned to ignore things that didn't come straight out of his mouth. But then again, his contact with them was so limited, they were hardly kept in the loop.

"What was it this time, Grand-mère?"

"It was really silly actually, which is why I just had to call and share. They were claiming that you were engaged to some girl..what was her name again…April…no, June? It might have been June."

"You mean Jude." With the mention of her name, she perked up and listened to his conversation more closely.

"There you go! Did you read that article too?"

"Umm…no, not exactly."

"So then someone told you about it."

"No Grand-mère, not quite."

"How did you know about it then?"

"Well, I'm engaged Grand-mère. Her name is Jude."

Silence again. And then he heard a clattering followed by more silence.

"Grand-mère?" Nothing. "Grand-mère?" He repeated with a little more force and concern this time. He finally heard commotion in the background.

"Henry, please, I need to sit down. Pick up the phone for me, no, I'll be fine. He's engaged. I hope she's not a whore. But that was her who answered the phone. She's sleeping with him already! She might be a whore, oh son of Mary…and we and his parents raised him so well." Tommy frowned at this but once there was someone on the other line again, he pretended to not have heard anything.

"Hello?" A gruff voice can over the phone and Tommy was relieved to hear it opposed to the incessant chatter of his grandmother.

"Grand-père." Unlike his grandmother, his grandfather was a laidback man of few words. Nothing made him happier than taking his boat out on the weekends and spending the day fishing with a six pack.

"How are you doing, son? I hear you're engaged?"

"I'm good, doing well. And yeah, I'm engaged. Best decision I've ever made." He smiled and reached out to hold Jude's hand while he continued to talk on the phone. He heard the voice of his grandmother in the background again. "Give me the phone, Henry, I need to talk to Thomas."

His grandfather audibly sighed before speaking into the receiver again, "Your grandmother talks to talk to you again, It's good to hear from you though, we'll have to take the boat out again."

"Of course, bye Grand-père." He heard the exchange of the receiver before his grandmother's voice came over the ear piece again.

"Thomas. We must fix this."

"Fix what, Grand-mère?" He was having a hard time keeping his frustration in check as this woman continually tried to dictate his life.

"June, we have to meet her."

"Jude." Tommy corrected.

"Yes, of course. June. She simply has to meet the family."

Tommy felt his heart rate increase at the idea of Jude meeting his family. Hell, he didn't want to have to meet his family again. "Oh, I don't think that's such a good-"

"Oh nonsense. I'll plan it all out and then call you back. I can't wait to meet June!"

"Jude." But the line had clicked dead before he had a chance to get the entire word out. Handing the receiver back to Jude, she put it back on the cradle before rolling back into his arms and smirking.

"So…. Grand-mère sounds like quite the character."

"Ugh…yeah, she's something else. She wants to meet you, and she wants you to meet the family."

She turned around so she was now facing Tommy, "Really?" her eyes shone with excitement. That was not the reaction he was expecting or hoping for. This was his family, his crazy, nutcase family.

"Jude, you don't want to meet these people…"

"Lies. Of course I do. I want to meet your family, see where you came from."

"Trust me when I say-"

"Shh. Silence. We'll talk about it later. Once I've gotten a few more hours of sleep." With that, she grinned at him and pulled the covers up over both of them, successfully blocking out the intrusive sunlight as they desperately tried to cling onto their fleeting slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Once the sun was high enough above the city, not even their dark curtains would keep out the bright sun as it taunted them, daring them to try and continue to sleep. Jude let out a groan of protest before giving into the consciousness that washed over her.

"Just because you gave in doesn't mean I have to crack yet." Tommy's muffled voice came from under the blankets and sheets he was burrowed under.

"Yeah right, get up you lazy bum." She rolled over to her side of the bed and searched the floor for a shirt or something to throw on before she left the covering of the sheet wrapped around her body. Clothes were strewn everywhere seeing as they had a tendency of undressing and flinging clothes everywhere before diving into bed together.

She finally found a wrinkled tee shirt of Tommy's and pulled it over her head before getting up and stumbling to the bathroom. She emerged again, shortly, quite the sight in only his shirt and a pair of panties. She was brushing her teeth as she looked around the room in distaste, wrinkling her nose.

"Be welree should cleab ub." She tried to talk and brush at the same time.

"What? You know I can never understand you when you talk and brush your teeth at the same time."

Jude made another face and ducked back into the bathroom to spit into the sink. The faucet turned on and she rinsed out her mouth before going back into the bedroom and crawling back onto the bed.

"I said, we really should clean up." She kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling back and smiling devilishly.

"Why bother cleaning when clothes are just going to get on the floor over…and over…and over again?"

"I won't be as cute running around in your clothes."

"I beg to differ." He pulled her on top of him, placing kisses down her jaw line until a ringing cell phone interrupted them.

"It's yours" With a sigh, Jude rolled off of him, flopping back onto the bed.

Tommy searched around the floor, going to from pair of jeans to pair of jeans until he finally found what he was looking for as it continued to ring in his back pocket. He quickly glanced at the caller ID and hung his head with a groan before flipping the phone open and answering it as happily as he could.

"Mom!" his voice was a sickening mix of artificial sweetness and genuine dread.

Whatever she was saying, it was loud. Really, really loud. He held the phone inches away from his ear and wandered back to the bed, sitting down next to Jude.

"No mom, I was going to tell you, but it just happened that the wire picked up on it and Grand-mère just happened to read about it in the papers. I really had every intention of telling you once…I thought you wouldn't go crazy over it?"

There was another onslaught of yelling and he flinched, holding the phone away from his ear again.

"Mom, what can I do to make it up to you?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, his faced paled.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Maybe high tea, just the three of us…or maybe just the two of you?"

Jude shot him a threatening look and reactively hit his side. He scowled back before mouthing 'sorry'

"No…okay. That's fine. We can make that. How long will it last? And we can't leave early?"

He winced again at her sheer volume, "okay, okay. We'll be there. The entire time. Yeah…it'll be great. I can't wait, Mom. Uh huh…love you too, bye."

Falling back onto the bed, he turned and looked over at Jude. "Are you sure you want to marry me?"

"Of course I want to marry you, with or without your supposedly crazy family. I love you, and I can handle anything. Remember the radio DJ?"

"Yeah, and that's why I'm worried."

She gawked at him, "Hey, that was so uncalled for. It all worked out in the end. Plus, even if I can't take a radio DJ on my first go round, I think I can handle Lil Tommy Q's family, even if he can't." She raised an eyebrow in mock challenge.

"You have no idea what you're about to get into. But come on, let's get some laundry done, we have to pack so we're ready to leave tomorrow."

Jude eyed him curiously, "Ummm. Hi. Clue me in."

"Tomorrow, we're leaving to visit the family." Tommy stood up from the bed and started to pick up the discarded clothes.

Tomorrow. That was soon. That was less than twenty four hours and that was definitely not what she was expecting.

"Oh. Well, I can't wait to meet them. So who where are we going? Who do I get to meet first?"

"My family has a lodge kind of out in the middle of nowhere. It's about 45 minutes from anything, and you'll…meet whoever answers the door first. So…be forewarned. It might be a bit of a bloodbath. Now that I think about it, they might even be worse than the paparazzi. But nothing you can't handle right?"

A smirk played across his face when he looked over to his fiancé who had paled slightly and starred back at him, wide eyed. "Um," She shook her head and smiled in faux confidence. "Of course. I can handle meeting the in-laws. How bad can it honestly be?"

"Worse than the shock FM DJ. Don't be surprised if Gand-mère asks for a detailed itinerary of our sex lives."

Jude had been in the process of picking up all the clothes that were scattered on her side of the floor but dropped them all. "What!"

"As I said, worse than the shock FM DJ."


	3. Chapter 3

Two suitcases lay side by side on the bed, one almost dangerously full of clothes and the other was more sparsely filled. A couple of neat stacks of jeans, shirts, and under garments lined the bottom of the luggage. Jude and Tommy were like a continual conveyer belt as they each went back and forth between the closet they shared and their bed.

"So…if I run out of room, are you willing to share yours?"

"You've got to be kidding, you should have learned to consolidate when you toured."

"And I did…but times have changed."

"Whatever, sorry sweetheart. You're on your own. Maybe if you didn't insist on wearing a different track jacket each day of the month. You and your damn layers."

"You love me and my layers."

"Um, not when I have to share a suitcase with you. So what all should I bring? How many 'impress the family' outfits am I going to need?" Jude stood in front of her side of the large walk in closet with her hands on her hips when Tommy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"No offense, but I don't think you own enough for my family."

"Well then I can win them over on my own accord. I got this Tommy, no need to fret."

The truth of the matter was Jude had never been so nervous before in her life. The family. She was meeting the dreaded family. And it wasn't just mom and dad; he dropped the bombshell on her that it was a rather usual family gathering that involved everyone. And when he said everyone, it was like, family reunion everyone. They would be sequestered isolated from society and she would have no escape. No running to the store for milk, and she would be meeting the family. The least he could have done was tried to slowly break her into this instead of pushing her off the cliff into the ocean. She could do this though, if Jude Harrison, soon to be Quincy could stand up to record executives and fight for her music and her beliefs, she could surely hold up to a little family. Unless of course, everyone was like Grand-mère or worse.

With both suitcases packed to the brim, they were tossed into the limited trunk space of the Viper before they set off for what could be considered the country. The top was down on the small sports car as it winded down the empty road despite the ardent protests of Tommy's hair being blown out of place.

"Oh come on Tommy, it's just a little wind." Jude was laughing at his pained expression as his perfectly mused hair was thrown out of place by nature.

"But my hair." He whined pitifully and turned to her, a sad puppy dog face was nearly but not quite covered by his aviator sunglasses.

Jude had her hand outside the car making waves against the rushing air, dancing along to the music playing. With the new song coming onto the radio, she squealed loudly and reached for dial to turn up the music.

"I love this song!" Her voice raising over the music and residual outside noise. She began bouncing in her seat as she danced and sang along loudly to one of the latest club anthems, Every Time we Touch.

Her antics made him shake his head and roll his eyes. She looked utterly ridiculous singing into an imaginary microphone, leaning up close to him as she sang along with the first verse.

_'Cause everytime we touch,  
I get this feeling,  
and every time we kiss,  
I swear I can fly  
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?  
I want this to last,  
need you by my side.  
'Cause everytime we touch,  
I feel the static,  
and everytime we kiss,  
I reach for the sky.  
Can't you hear my heart beat so?  
I can't let you go,  
want you in my life._

During the music breaks she started to pretend to rave in her seat, trying her hardest to make her fiancé laugh. He finally cracked a smile and she was able to calm down and turn the radio back down.

"You really need to loosen up a bit, but I suppose it's time for you to give me the run down. So," She drew out her last word as if she was just another gossiping girl, "Dish. Tell me about the in-laws."

Tommy took a deep breath before starting. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Grand-mère Quincy."

"Ah, good choice. Maybe she'll like you after all…just don't give in to her little bedroom behavior survey. Please, I beg you. We have to see this woman at every family function, Christmas dinner, and she will share and compare with information she's gained from the other poor souls she's interrogated."

Jude's eyes widened. "I thought you were joking about that."

"Nope. She's a bit like that crazy old woman from the states…the one with her own line of sex toys…."

"Sue Johnson." Jude finished his sentence in a rather casual tone.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Hey, you guys probably rented porn when you were bored on tour. I chose something a little more tactful and educational in my hotel room." She looked at him sideways with a raised eyebrow only to see him turn a rather flattering shade of fuchsia.

"Back to Grand-mère…"

"So I can't tell her about hotel porn?"

"I was 18! What 18 year old didn't do that?"

"Okay, okay…touchy. So, Grand-mère since we can't discuss your little porn addiction...Did you watch it alone, or was it a Boyz Attack group bonding event?"

"It was not an addiction."

"But it was "bonding"."

"I'm not having this discussion with you."

"Ewww. Okay, the last thing I need to be thinking about is a boy band circle jerk." Her face contorted in horror and she shuddered in disgust.

"I thought we were talking about Grand-mère?" Tommy squirmed in his seat, his face an even deeper shade of fuchsia now.

"God, yes, please. Grand-mère."

Thankful for a change of subject he thought how to describe Grand-mère as delicately as possible. "She married my grandfather young, she was 17 at the time. And for the time, she was, so I've been told a wonderful subservient wife-"

"How can you even think to use the words wonderful and subservient in the same sentence? Men will always want that. You disgust me." Jude frowned at him, turning her head to look at the scenery zooming by.

"Jude, come on, you know I don't want that. If I did, I would have proposed to someone else."

Her head snapped back and she scowled at him, "Who!"

Tommy was hopeless in the corner he had painted himself into. "I don't know, but not someone as wonderful, beautiful, and strong willed, and determined as you."

"Fine, you're off the hook this time. Next time, you're on the couch. But continue with your mini-bio."

"So…she was what would have been considered a perfect house wife, and then as the 60's women's rights movement was picking up speed, she became part of the bra burning movement. And threw all of her old ideals out the window which, even thirty something years later, she's still the same person she turned into in the 60's. She's an amazing woman, don't get me wrong…she's just…ostentatious?"

"Well, I can respect her for that then. Okay, one bra burning grandma down, who's next? Tell me about your grandfather."

"He's been great to me, and you'll really like him. Not a whole lot to say about him, but he's put up with Grand-mère for…it has to have been at least 50 years."

"Well then I can't wait to meet him, but if he's normal, we can skip him for now, what other crazy relatives do you have?"

Tommy paused for a second before recognition crossed his face. And he smirked to himself.

"Jeffrey. And his wife Flora. Now, before I say this, I love my family. I really do, we may be estranged, but I do love them. Now, however. If you were to pick this couple up and drop them in the middle of a trailer part in the south, they would fit in perfectly. I don't think Jeff has ever held a real lucrative job ever. And Flora is the center of every gossip ridden lie that has ever been spun about my family. She's a stay at home mom so she loves to create her own personal drama. Between the two of them, honestly, I don't know how they support themselves, much less the spawn of their late night recreations."

"Alright, so bra burning grandma, scheming…"

"cousin."

"right, scheming cousin and his gossip monger wife. Okay, this isn't bad; I thought you were going to tell me you had people with serious mental illnesses in your family."

"Oh, I'm not done. Aunt Marigold spends most of her time in the psychiatric ward, but she is allowed absences as long as her caretaker comes along for the fun. Oh, and if she tries to tell you that Hayden Christensen is her boyfriend, I find it's best to nod and smile with the occasional verbal agreement. She likes that confirmation."

"Oh God…"

"And there are wallet sized pictures too."

Jude looked over at Tommy who was chuckling to himself, she looked suddenly overwhelmed with all of this new information.

"So…that's all right, everyone else is normal, right?"

"Oh Jude, my beautiful, precious, naïve Jude. That's hardly the tip of the iceberg." His hand left the steering wheel and patted her's patronizingly. "You should believe me next time, I would never lead you astray when it comes to my family."


	4. Chapter 4

Their drive had unfortunately come to an end, and as of now, Jude had a small arsenal of information. She suppressed the urge to pull out her notebook during the ride and jot down all the notes swirling around in her head about her soon to be in-laws. She was trying to keep names and bizarre quirks matched up and making sense. Though she was tempted to make it into a little song so she could easily remember, she refrained, afraid she might get caught singing or humming it. She would just rather avoid that potentially awkward situation all together.

Tommy was maneuvering the sports car down a road completely engulfed by forest and the little car was putting up a valiant fight.

"Okay, you were lying about the family. You're actually taking me to the house from Hansel and Gretel to be eaten."

"That doesn't sound half bad, but no, sorry. There will be no eating of you while we're here." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye to see if she would react to his words but she didn't even bother to turn and look at him as she replied,

"Always with the double entendre. You can't just let things be." There was finally a break from the dense foliage and the "lodge" that Tommy had tried to downplay came into view.

"Oh my God? Is this it? I thought you said it was a little lodge in the middle of nowhere."

"Well I didn't want you to panic…like you're doing right now. It'll be okay." Tommy's hand left the gearshift and grasped Jude's giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I won't feed you to the sharks, I promise."

As they pulled up to the long winding driveway, several cars were there already. In fact, with the number of people there, they very well might be the last ones to arrive. Tommy killed the engine of the car and looked at Jude before getting out of the car.

"You ready for this?"

"Yes…no." Her eyes wandered up and took in the entirety of the "lodge"…or, should she say estate. "You lied to me."

"I didn't want to make it worse. You can do this; I'll be by your side the entire time."

They got out of the car and Jude braced herself against the Viper. "Oh God I feel dizzy and nauseas."

Panic crossed Tommy's face as his fiancé started to sway back and forth, teetering precariously next to the car. "Jude!" He ran over to her side, pulling her next to him incase she did pass-out.

"Jude, girl. Listen to me. Take a few deep breaths."

"Okay…okay. I think the stars might be going away." Jude's vision was clearing back up as she focused on her breathing and Tommy held her close, stroking her back to calm her down.

"We don't have to do this."

"No…we do. I can do this, I just need a minute."

"Really, I can just tell them…"

"No," Jude's voice was firm and unwavering, "your mother is expecting us. Just give me a second."

Jude finished pulling herself together and flashed a half smile at Tommy to reassure him that she was going to be able to get through this. "Okay, whenever you're ready."

With Jude pulled next to Tommy they walked up the winding path of the large property. This was definitely no lodge. You could call the property an estate, maybe even spring for the description of Château.

"So…how would you define this little piece of land? Estate? Château?"

They were walking up the path to the door. "It's called Northwood. But that's not important. You can back out at any time…"

"No. I'm meeting your family. Get over it." Tommy gave a resigned sigh as they were now at the large double doors. Jude smoothed out the skirt she was wearing. In attempts to put her best foot forward, she was dressed in a white cotton circle skirt that flowed and swooshed with each step she took. A light yellow camisole peeked out from under a pink off the shoulder top she had put on earlier today. She looked nothing like Jude Harrison, rock star extraordinaire. Instead, she looked like demure, domestic barbie Jude, right down to the white kitten heeled sandals on her freshly pedicured feet.

Northwood looked like a miniature castle. The exterior was brick that had been whitewashed a long time ago, but after years, some of the original red was peeking through and it gave the entire house a distinguished look. With the couple standing on the stoop of the house, Tommy pressed the doorbell and they heard an elaborate chime ring through the interior.

Jude looked panic stricken again and her head snapped to Tommy again who just shrugged and looked embarrassed. "It must be new, it wasn't there last time." The hand around her waist found its way to the small of her back and began rubbing it again unconsciously to try and calm her down.

Through the glass, a single woman could be seen walking towards the door. Her features were disguised by the ornate frosting of the glass, but when the door swung open, Jude got a good look at her. The held herself with the utmost posture and obviously took great lengths to procure her looks in the morning. Her grey hair was stacked neatly atop her head and looked like it could withstand gale force winds. 'So that's where Tommy gets it from.'

"Thomas!" The woman violently pulled at him, forcing him into a crushing embrace.

"Grand-mère, it's good to see you again. Looking beautiful as always."

"You always were good with the flattery. Let me see you!" She held him at arms length and scrutinized his features. "You look skinny, does she not know how to cook?"

"Grand-mère, she can cook just fine. And she has a name. Grand-mère, this is Jude. My fiancé." Tommy introduced Jude, and his arm returned around her waist hoping to give her the strength she would need for the rest of the impending introductions.

"June! It's so nice to finally meet you!" Now it was Jude's turn to be sucked into one of Grand-mère's embraces. Though she might have been genuinely sincere, Jude couldn't help but to feel as if Grand-mère's voice was laced with artificial sweetness. Jude was held at arms length just as Tommy had been, but Grand-mère started pinching and grabbing at Jude in random places, her bare upper arms, around the waist, her hips.

"You're too skinny. You aren't anorexic are you? You girls nowadays, always tried to lose weight. When I was your age, eating was encouraged so you could have healthy babies. How am I supposed to have great grandchildren when you can hardly support yourself? We'll have to work on that."

Jude opened her mouth to snap back in regards to the anorexia comment but refrained and opted to smile sweetly. She was not going to get off on the wrong foot already, she still had several days ahead of her.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Quincy. I would love to say I've heard all about you, but honestly, I haven't."

"Oh don't worry dear. I have all the photo albums lined up and ready to go."

"Grand-mère" Tommy whined like a small child, "don't do that."

"Oh Thomas, she'll love the baby pictures of you, and oh! I think I have the ones from the talent show here…" Tommy shook his head wide eyed, a blush creeping back up his cheeks. "You wouldn't."

"Of course I would! She needs to know these things. Now come in June." She clasped Jude's hand between her own two and led her into the foyer of the Northwood Estate. "We need to catch up and get to know one another. I have so many questions."

"So I've been told." Her nervousness was setting in again.

"Why don't we take a little walk, I can show you around and we can get to know each other a little better before I introduce to you everyone else."

"Grand-mère, I don't know if that's such a good-" But Tommy was cut off by his grandmother.

"Of course it's a good idea Thomas. You just go back to the car and get your bags. I promise to bring her back in one piece."

"But-"

"Thomas, I'm not open for negotiations." The stern look on his grandmother's face told him to not try her patience anymore. He gave Jude a pitiful look of regret and she looked back at him with equal apprehension and worry before being pulled away in a new direction with her soon to be grandmother-in-law.


	5. Chapter 5

There was no denying how beautiful the property was, or the fortune the Quincy family had come across. Though their success was no accident, it was deeply rooted in the men in the family to go and succeed in the best way possible to maintain their namesake.

"So, June."

Jude smiled at her artificially, her lips pressed together, not replying.

"You do speak, do you not?"

The smile stayed plastered on her face, her eyebrows raising a little.

"Dear, I don't bite. Not yet at least. So, how long have you known my Thomas?"

"Four years."

"She does have a voice! A good amount of time to get to know someone. How did you meet?"

He really hadn't told them anything about her. She made a mental note to ask if he ever told them he had been involved with someone.

"Oh, we met through work."

"Oh." Grand-mère's voice fell noticeably and Jude frowned. Of course this family would disprove of his means of success.

"You know," Jude started cautiously, "He's remarkably talented and gifted at what he does. I don't think my albums would have done as well had he not produced them."

"What?" Grand-mère halted her stroll and suddenly the rose garden they were in right now seemed more like a labyrinth that Jude would never escape.

"Um…my albums."

"Oh. You sing. I thought you were just a secretary or personal assistant. Well then. I suppose we can work around that."

Okay, so never mention music again around the Quincy family. Check. Well…I'm out of conversation starters. Damn.

"So when did he propose?" Grand-mère had collected herself again, and continued to lead Jude through the garden.

"Just a few days ago. We really didn't expect it to be in the papers. It wasn't a public proposal and I'm really sorry you had to find out this way." Jude was genuinely saddened that the media had taken away one of the biggest moments in the couple's life. Neither Jude nor Tommy had been given the opportunity to share the news of the pending nuptials with their families because of the gossip rags that had plastered a picture of them together all over the front covers.

"Well, it must be the life that you live. But no harm done. As long as you're here now and I can just question you away!" Her laughter rang out through the dense bushes and Jude laughed nervously along with her.

"Don't look so scared, dear. You look positively green. Here, sit." They arrived at what appeared to be the center of the garden. There were four stone benches surrounding a fountain that was two cherubs, one perched atop the other's shoulders with his hands joined together and water spouting from his hands, cascading down hitting the large basin at the bottom with a soothing sound of artificial rain.

"Mrs. Quincy, I'm more and more in awe of Northwood every second. It's so beautiful here."

"Oh call me Grand-mère dear. We'll be getting to know each other quite well soon enough. And I'm glad you like it here dear, you do know that this is Thomas's once myself and Henry pass."

"What? Are you serious? Wouldn't it go to his parents?" Jude couldn't imagine owning just a divine and ornate piece of real estate.

"Well it should have gone to his father, but since that can't happen…" Grand-mère trailed off before snapping back to reality. "Enough of all that, I need to know more about you!"

"Right." And she had been so close to getting Grand-mère distracted.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"An older sister, her name is Sadie and she'll be starting graduate school at university for psychology."

"Ah, well that's good. Stable."

"And your parents?"

"They've been divorced for almost five years now."

"Hmm. Unfortunate but not the kiss of death." _Hmm_ is the last thing a future in-law wanted to hear. _Hmm_ was really short-hand for well that just means _you're probably going to divorce my grandson/son/brother_. Jude hated _Hmm_.

"I've turned out well enough." And she laughed at herself but when Grand-mère didn't join in, Jude quickly snapped her mouth shut and flashed another uncomfortable smile at her again.

"So you and my Thomas have known each other for four years. You were the one who answered the phone, where you not?"

Brace yourself Jude, here it comes.

"Yes?" Jude's voice was barely above a whisper.

"You're not sure? Dear, these are things that you should be sure of."

"No…it was me."

"So you share a bed with my grandson. For how long?"

"I really don't think that's any..."

"Don't be silly. Everything is my business, dear." Grand-mère gave Jude that look of 'your life is now my life.'

"But really, I mean, there are some things that are…private between a couple and-"

Before she had to finish her sentence she heard someone calling for Grand-mère and Tommy appeared around the hedge.

"Grand-mère, I thought you said you'd bring her back in one piece?" he flashed one of his award winning, and charming smiles at his grandmother. What a sick display of being a whipped momma's boy.

She feigned a look of innocence and a wicked Cheshire like smile crossed her face before she replied, "I don't see a single scratch on her Thomas, do you?"

Tommy raised a knowing eyebrow at his grandmother before looking at Jude, "Our luggage is safely in our room."

Despite being thankful for his interruption, she was fuming that he left her like that with a woman she had known for all of two minutes before she was dragged off.

"Well that's good, you know, that the luggage is safe. I was really worried it was going to get hurt in the trunk of the car." Jude's lips were pursed in annoyance over her abandonment. Tommy just gave her that look that he gave her. The 'I'm sorry, we'll deal with it later, but no, I'm not wrong here.' Look. Boy did she get that look often.

"Well, I'm supposed to tell you that dinner will be ready, so if you two ladies would like to freshen up a bit before dinner, I would suggest we make our way back."

"Oh Thomas, how lovely and thoughtful of you." Grand-mère stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, her lipstick left a red imprint against his skin that smeared as he tried to rub it away. Jude just folded her arms across her chest and followed them mimicking Grand-mère under her breath, "just delightful, _Thomas_."

Before departing, Grand-mère wanted to make sure that Jude was in the right guest bedroom. With Tommy's fingers intertwined with Jude's, they arrived outside the door to the room they would be staying in.

"Alright Grand-mère, I told you I would get the right room. See? No worries." Tommy cocked his head to the closed door, and then nodded to get her to leave.

"But Thomas, yes, you got the right room, but this is where you're staying. June dear, you'll be in this room." Grand-mère ushered Jude down the hall, one room over and on the opposite side of where Tommy had placed their bags.

"This dear, is your room." Grand-mère opened the door in one sweeping, regal gesture. Temporarily forgetting the fact that Tommy's grandmother was trying to get them to sleep in separate rooms, Jude gazed with wide eyes at the huge room open to her. It was completely over the top. Over the top, decadent, and utterly fabulous. If you were going to live in an area that seemed like the French countryside, reside in a house that looked like a château, why not have am amazing room that cried out with the rest of the seemingly fairytale theme.

The walls were covered in elaborate wallpaper that scattered rose imprints everywhere. The first thing that caught her eye was the king sized bed against one wall with a canopy and tied back curtain drapes. The bedding was all done in shades of rose to match the wallpaper. As a matter of fact, Jude noticed that everything was in the same color scheme, except for the cream that was used to compliment the rose and the occasionally accent of a periwinkle blue. The room had its own personal living room that was facing the fireplace. Floor to ceiling windows flooded the room with light and reflected off of a pristine white baby grand piano and really did make it seem like a room fit for a princess. If the rooms were this self-indulgent, she couldn't want to go and hunt down the claw foot bathtub later tonight.

"Mrs. Quincy-"

"Shh," Grand-mère brought a fingers to her lips, "I told you, it's Grand-mère. Now what was it you wanted to say dear?"

Jude gave her another one of her tight lipped smiles before continuing, "The room is stunning, really. It's quite beautiful, but I really don't think it's necessary to-"

Grand-mère lips curled upwards at the corners, and the look she was giving Jude made her nervous.

"Dear, you aren't married yet. And regardless of what activities you partake in at your own home, that does not mean that I will allow that sort of behavior in my home." Grand-mère put her hand on Jude's shoulder and continued to give her the same half-smile as before, "Surely, you understand?"

Once again, Jude Harrison had to battle the bull alone. "Right, of course." Her face had become even more strained as patted her shoulder before she left.

"Don't forget dears, dinner in twenty minutes!" And with that, Grand-mère swept out of the room off to her own room to get ready.

Tommy stood tentatively against the door frame as he watched Jude bore holes through him.

"So, Thomas, when are you going to start sticking up for your fiancé? Or, are you just going to throw me in the water as chum while you sit happily on the boat?" Not even waiting for his response, she brushed past him headed towards his room so she could get her suitcase from his room.

"Jude, come on Jude, that isn't fair."

"Isn't _fair_! Don't talk to me about what's _fair_, Quincy. Because you abandoning me like that wasn't _fair._" She grasped the handle to her suitcase and trudged back to her room, flinging the luggage onto the bed.

"Jude, please, listen to me."

"You have a minute starting..." Jude looked at the watch on her hand, and waited for the second hand to reach the twelve again, "Now."

"Jude, please don't be like this. Grand-mère is a bit off colored because she'll interrogate us about our sex lives…"

"Us! No, more like me, you'll just run away with your tail between your legs!"

"It was wrong of me. I'm sorry. But going into dinner you can't be mad at me, please. I promise I'll be there the entire time. They can't make me leave dinner. Please Jude?"

Damn him and his puppy dog face. She dropped her hand with the watch on it and closed the distance between them as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I need you right now, and I needed you earlier and you left me to fend for myself. Tom, you can't do that."

"I know, I'm sorry. Old habits die hard I guess. I haven't seen them in such a long time, and they're all going to treat me like I'm still 10 years old. Like they always do." His hands ran along her back trying to reassure her that it was going to be okay before pulling away and holding her out at arms length. "You should probably make sure you're ready for dinner. I'm going to head over to my room but come and get me when you're ready, okay?" Jude nodded before he headed out leaving her to freshen up. 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm so sorry I've been neglecting my readers and I feel pretty bad about that, I'm so absorbed with the instant star community I live at that I haven't been updating here, and well...let's just say I'm 7 chapters behind in updating, heh. And when I did go to update a few days ago, was being stupid. So here's what I'd like to do. I'm going to be posting two chapters at a time, that way updates will seem more frequent. I would love some feedback about the chapters before I go and post the next pair. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for a new story that I have started titled 'And Then She Was Gone' I got some pretty good feedback already and I'm excited to share it with y'all.**

Jude wandered into the bathroom and didn't bother to take time to admire the extravagance that was to be found in there. She found what she was looking for and turned the handle to the sink, cold water pouring out of the faucet. She pushed her hair behind her ear and cupped her hands under the stream as she lowered her head, slashing her face with the crisp water. Her glassy complexion looked back at her as she browsed the counter for a towel through the mirrored reflection. With one catching her eye, she groped the marble countertop next to her until it was in her grasp. Patting her face dry, she took a couple of deep breaths before walking back into the bedroom and rummaging through her suitcase looking for her make up bag. Finding it, she climbed up the two steps to sit atop the bed. Every time she looked around the room, she was continually overwhelmed by the sight before her. And Tommy owning all of this eventually was mind boggling, along with why it would be passed down to him and not his mother and father.

As she touched up her makeup, she felt the butterflies welling in the depths of her stomach aching to get out. The idea that she was about to meet her in-laws in about 10 minutes made her stomach churn in nervous anticipation and the more she thought about it, the sicker she felt. Would they like her? Would she like them? Were they all really as crazy as Tommy said? Were they worse? Before she knew it, she was bolting back towards the bathroom with her hand clamped over her mouth as she frantically searched for the toilet. Finally finding it behind a closed door, she collapsed down in front of it and emptied what little there was in her stomach.

Tommy was bored as he waited in anticipation for Jude to get to his room, getting up from the chair he had been occupying he walked down the hall and towards the open door of her room. From the door he could hear retching from the bathroom and concern over took him as he sped over to the bathroom. "Jude?" concern laced his voice as he saw her hovered over the toilet.

"Jude, girl, are you okay?" He kneeled down beside her, pulling her hair back and holding it as he rubbed her back, trying to coax her to calm down.

"Yeah…fine..just a little…sick." Damn it, she was crying. She had a tendency to cry when she threw up. It was all part of the emotional release for her. Flushing the toilet, she stood up with his help and made her way to the sink to rinse out her mouth. Tommy left her side to retrieve her toothbrush and toothpaste. She smiled at him weakly as she quickly brushed her teeth. Spitting out the foam, she mumbled her thank you.

She used the hand towel to pat her mouth dry and fix her smudged mascara. She looked like hell and now she had to go and meet everyone else. 'Great' was all she could think.

"Jude, we don't have to go down to dinner, I can tell them that you're not feeling well, or better yet, that I'm not feeling well." He was trying in earnest to cover up for his earlier misstep leaving her with Grand-mère.

"Yeah, that's all they need, an excuse to not like me." She stood in front of the mirror, studying herself as she sniffled and tried to smooth the makeup on her face. "We're going." Pulling together what energy she had left, she put down the hand towel and smoothed her clothes before turning around and walking out of the bathroom. She slipped her heels back on and turned back to see her fiancé sigh before walking over to her before they both left the room, his arm protectively around her waist as they made their way down the dining room.

The large oak double doors where open as the couple approached a long table with everyone surrounding it. They were chatting away until their presence was noted and everyone fell silent as Tommy and Jude stood there, all eyes on them. His grip tightened on her, but no words of introduction came from him mouth. Jude looked up at him sweetly while simultaneously jamming the heel of her shoe against his toes.

"Ouch! Erm…right. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé, Jude."

There were a chorus of hello's, some notably more genuine than others before Tommy started to go around the table and introducing everyone by name.

"Jude, you've met Grand-mère, and next to her is my grandfather, Henry."

Jude gave a small smile and a slight wave. He nodded in acknowledgement before Tommy continued on.

"Next to him is my mother, Aubrey. Then that is my Aunt Marigold, and her assistant Mitchell." Tommy leaned in closer to Jude and whispered 'Cuckoo' causing Jude to giggle and relax a bit more. As she tried to maintain her composure, she coughed spastically and nodded her head towards them.

"It's so nice to meet you."

Tommy continued down the line, "Meet my Aunt Adèle and her husband, my Uncle Edward. Next to him are my cousins Jacob and Jeffrey. Next to Jeffrey is his son, Dylan and then his wife Flora."

"Hi, it's nice to finally put faces with the names." Jude put her best face forward during the introductions. Tommy led her to their seats, the only empty ones at the table between Henry and Aubrey. Tommy pulled out the chair for Jude next to his mother and then took a seat next to his grandfather. The table was set and everyone seated but there wasn't a scrap of food to be seen on the table.

Jude looked around curiously but kept her mouth shut, they were rich. Why shouldn't they have help to do everything for them. Grand-mère spoke up, spurring conversation like a good hostess should, though the topic of conversation would not have been Jude's first choice.

"June, dear, are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine Mrs. Quin- Grand-mère. I just felt a little…off color earlier." Jude smoothed her hair out nervously before folding her hands back in her lap.

"I thought I heard gaggin' comin' from the guest room! Well mystery solved, Jeffrey!" Flora spoke up loudly, hitting her husbands arm as she reached around her son.

Grand-mère looked at Jude in concern ignoring the boisterous cackling from Flora, "June, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine, I just felt a little nauseas. Really, it's no big deal."

"You aren't keeping anything from us, are you?" Grand-mère looked at Jude and Tommy curiously, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read their minds, grappling for any secrets hidden within.

"It's nothing, really." Jude was desperately racking her brain for anything to change the subject.

"Darling, I doubt you would be the first of Thomas's play things to be pregnant. No need to hide it." Aubrey airily dismissed her comment with a wave of her hand as if she said nothing offensive.

Jude promptly choked on the water she had been sipping and Aubrey looked over at her innocently.

"Mrs. Quincy, I'm not…there's no way…No baby." Jude was having problems forming complete sentences and her nausea was returning. She tried to take a couple of deep breaths to keep the bile churning in her stomach at bay.

Tommy looked like a deer in the headlights and he felt his brain shut down temporarily as he just stared at his mother.

"Thomas, accidents are understandable. No need to hide it." Aubrey's saccharine voice was enough to set Jude over the edge and she thrust herself away from the table and bolted from her chair. She managed to gasp out "air" before she ran off, her hand clamped over her mouth again as she tried to blink back tears.

Aubrey's face was emotionless as she looked back at Tommy, "did I do something wrong?" Knowing that keeping his anger in check at this point was futile he refused to open his mouth but just shook his head in disgust before excusing himself from the table to go after Jude. But as he reached the doors of the dining room, he turned back and his eyes bore into his mother "You know, you're the reason why I didn't want to say anything about Jude. She means the world to me, and you treat her like that."

Grand-mère stared at Aubrey without shame while the younger of the two just shrugged her shoulders unapologetically.

Everyone else knew better to get in between the feuding parties but Marigold looked back and forth between everyone before pulling her bag on to the table and retrieving a wallet. Opening her wallet she looked up at everyone, a silly and glazed look on her face. "Well, that went well. Does anyone want to see the new pictures I have of my boyfriend?"


	7. Chapter 7

Jude was curled up on the edge of the bed alone, tears still falling down her cheeks leaving trails of mascara. Tommy walked in to see her clinging to a pillow and her body was shaking as sobs caught in her throat. His heart broke at the sight of her. Meeting everyone was going to be rough, he knew that, but he would have never accounted for Jude leaving in tears.

He walked to the end of the bed where Jude still had her toiletry bag and found what he was looking for. With the small bottle of make up remover and a cotton ball in hand, he climbed up onto the bed next to her. She continued to cry as he carefully rid her eyes and cheeks of her runny make up before lying down next to her as he wordlessly stroked her hair, his eyes never leaving her.

"Trying to make up for not saying again?" another wave of sobs washed over her and she drew her legs up closer against her.

"Jude, I-"

"Save it Tommy. I don't care."

"Jude, stop it. Come here." He took the pillow from her arms and pulled her closer to him, her back against his body and his arm holding her tight. Her body was rigid against him at first but the exhaustion from crying and vomiting twice was overwhelming. She relaxed but tears still slipped from her eyes.

"She's the reason I didn't want to come here. I knew she was going to do this. Ignore it though."

Jude turned on her side and looked at Tommy while sniffling. "Tommy…what if I am?"

"Am what?"

"Pregnant, what if I am Tommy?"

Until now, he didn't even consider that his mother's comment could even be true.

"Jude, if you are, then you're going to be Jude Quincy, mother of our child. But don't worry about it right now. We'll figure it out, I promise."

Jude's tears had subsided but she continued to sniffle as she snuggled closer to Tommy, despite all of her fears and doubts swirling around her mind, her eyes closed for one last time and she drifted off to sleep.

Jude's eyes fluttered open to a shroud of darkness. She looked around confused at her confines and noted the absence of Tommy. Her hands rubbed the sleep from her eyes and she stretched out like a cat across the expansive mattress. Ready to get up, she pulled back the heavy curtain from the canopy and was assaulted by the sunlight. She closed her eyes tight against the light and stumbled towards the bathroom. 

After using the restroom and washing her hands she stood in front of the mirror, turning to the side and looking at her profile. She had always had a slim frame and relatively decent posture. Lifting the shirt from last nights outfit she ran a hand over her flat stomach. Next she sunk into her lower back and pushed her stomach out as far as she could while she continued to stare at herself in the mirror.

"You'd still be beautiful."

Jude turned to see Tommy, freshly showered with a cup of coffee in his hand. "You think so? I think it'd be weird to be carrying 20 pounds out over my feet."

He walked up behind her and set his mug down on the countertop before his fingers absently brushed across her stomach. "Well it'll happen eventually, and I can't wait."

"Really?" Jude smiled genuinely for the first time since she had gotten to Northwood.

"Really, but come back to the bedroom, Grand-mère left quite the spread for you."

"huh?"

"Come on." Tommy held her hand and led her back into the room and pointed her in the direction of the table that had been set up next to the sitting area of the room. Fruits and pastries were there along with an ornate silver kettle with steam escaping from the spout.

"Grand-mère's really pulling out all the stops." Jude laughed lightly, "So what'd it look like in your room?"

"Um, she woke me up far too early, kicked me to get ready, and I had to go get my own breakfast downstairs, with the rest of the plebeians."

Jude scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, "plebeians. I'm sure." 

"Hey. It's true though. She only did this for you." 

"Well, maybe I'm just that charming." Jude fixed herself a small plate and poured a cup of coffee for herself, adding cream and sugar.

The two sat down on the loveseat, Jude curled up against the arm, and Tommy occupying the other side, facing her.

"You sure you like to stare at me."

"I consider it appreciating a work of art."

"Oh you're so full of it." Jude laughed, nearly spilling her coffee. "So, what's on the agenda today? Is Grand-mère going to pull out the sex survey? Maybe your mother can continue to belittle me like I'm a two dollar whore…"

"Jude," Tommy's voice was tense as he started, but she shot him a cold look and he softened as he continued, "Actually, I was thinking I could show you something today. Maybe bring my grandfather along."

"Do you think I could win him over and bring him to the dark side, you know, the not hating me side?"

"No one hates you." But he made the mistake of looking into the pool of black liquid instead of looking Jude in the eye.

"Whatever you say, Quincy." Jude stood up and walked back to the breakfast spread. As she set her plate down, a small package caught her eye. It was wrapped in plain white paper with a light blue ribbon securing a small card against the box. Jude picked it up and eyed her fiancé curiously who just shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to open it. She walked back and sat down next to Tommy and pulled the card from beneath the ribbon. Opening she read the perfect script:

_  
Jude,_

I thought this would be easier for everyone.

-Anna

"Anna?" Jude looked at Tommy for an answer.

"Grand-mère."

"Ah…oh." Her voice lightened and she smiled with realization. "She wrote Jude."

"Well, that is your name."

"I know that…and so does she. She calls me June though." Jude shook her head laughing.

"I told you my family was crazy." Tommy hugged her with the arm that was around her shoulders. "So you gonna open it?" She nodded and carefully peeled at the paper along the slim side of the box. Pulling the paper away, a small box was left in her hands and Jude looked back at Tommy biting her lip. 

"See, she's not so bad after all. Go take it, I'll be right here." Tommy urged her on towards the bathroom, and he relocated himself to sitting on the edge of the bathtub. With a flush of the toilet, Jude came out with the test in her hands. She laid it flat on the counter and washed her hands before taking a seat next to Tommy.

"So…now we wait. Three minutes."

Tommy nodded and the two sat there in silence for the next three minutes, side by side they both wrung their hands nervously and stared at the floor while Tommy glanced at his watch compulsively every ten seconds.

Finally, the three minutes had passed. "Okay, it's time. Ready?"

Jude shook her head no, "Can we just wait?"

"Come on girl." Tommy reached for one of her hands in her lap and squeezed it, smiling at her before the two stood up and walked over to where the test was waiting for them. Jude took a deep breath before picking up the test and holding it between the two of them to display the results.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: When I posted the last two chapters, I didn't even realize where it left off, haha. But that was a good subconcious decision on my part! Anyways, here's the next installment, picking right up from where our hero's were about to find out the results of the pregnancy test. I might be even slower posting chapters because right now I'm using what I already have and _someone_ stole my muse...so I haven't gotten anything new out in a few days. I'm just so not in a happy joking mood right now. But enough of my sulking, I hope you enjoy the next part! Oh, and excuse any editing mistakes, I've gotten muy lazy on the editing front.**

The two looked at the stick in Jude's hand and she let out a sigh but Tommy looked at it in confusion. "So, what does it mean?"

"One line is no, and two is yes."

Tommy let out a sigh of relief to match Jude's and Jude tossed the test into the waste basket next to the sink before playfully hitting him, "What happened to Jude Quincy, mother of our child? Huh?"

"And one day, that'll be true. But right now, I just want to have fun, is that so wrong?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Just remember, no fun while we're here. They might notice me genuinely smiling and attack me."

"Well today you will enjoy. Trust me. But first, you need to shower and get ready. Wear something comfortable and your brown boots."

"Okay…do I get any hints?"

"Nope, just get ready and find your way down to the kitchen once you're done."

Jude agreed and watched Tommy leave the room, closing the door behind him so she could get ready.

Thirty minutes later Jude was showered and feeling much better after last night's ordeal. She could happily confirm that Aubrey was full of it, and she was going to spend the day with Tommy and his grandfather. She couldn't be happier about it.

She cautiously navigated the halls to find her way down to the kitchen on the first floor. She saw Tommy and his grandfather sitting at a small table in a nook laughing and joking around. Tommy's smile lit up his entire face and caused Jude to smile at his joy. He noticed her enter the kitchen and motioned for her to come over.

"Hi." She waved at Henry, and took a seat on Tommy's lap, her arm around her neck.

"You feeling better, sweetheart?" Henry's voice rumbled but his eyes were gentle and compassionate.

"Much better, I'm sorry for leaving like that yesterday…actually, I'm sorry for yesterday in general."

"No worries, as long as you're better today. It must have been a bug. Tom's mother can have that effect on people." He winked at her before letting his hands hit his thighs. "So we're all ready?"

"Yep, let's go" Jude stood up to let Tommy out of his seat. He made his way to the island in the middle of the kitchen and picked up a wicker picnic basket. The trio made their way out the door from the kitchen and Jude saw a small vegetable garden off to the right.

They continued walking down a pebbled path while Tommy and Henry continued talking and catching up on each other's lives. The basket in Tommy's left hand and his right hand intertwined with Jude's. They approached a small building and Henry led the way inside. Stalls lined each wall and a horse neighed in excitement at the sight of people.

"Jude, I'd like you to meet someone," Tommy led them towards a stall where a stocky black horse was being kept. "Hey girl." His voice was soft as he approached the horse, "Jude, this is the other love of my life, Midnight. She is the daughter foal of the horse I had when I was younger."

"The chestnut saddle bred." Jude said as she smiled from the ridiculous memory of her and Sadie fighting over Tommy at the farmhouse.

"So you do listen when I talk." He smiled as he stroked the horse behind her ear. "Want to give her a treat?"

"Sure." Tommy pulled out a couple of sugar cubes from the front pocket of his jeans and handed them to Jude. "Just don't tell Grand-mère. I don't think she would appreciate me stealing her sugar for the horses." The horse licked the sugar out of Jude's hand and she laughed as the tongue tickled the palm of her hand. "So, you'll be riding her, and I'll be on her son Shadow."

"Well it's quite the family affair."

"Yep." Tommy got the horses ready and saddled up for him and Jude while Henry was tending to his own horse. With the picnic basket attached to the saddle in a bag and Jude securely on her horse, the other two jumped up and were ready to go.

"Umm…Tommy?"

"Hmm?"

"So, Sades was the equestrian ribbon winner, I could barely make it around the ring." She held the reigns of the horse tightly as she sat, stiff on the back of midnight.

"Right, well don't worry, follow Grand-père and I'll be behind you." He tugged on the reigns of Shadow and nudged the horse's sides to get him moving behind Jude. The three of them made their way down a worn path that has been used for years. They went through a wooded area and Tommy kept asking if Jude was alright.

"I said I'm not like Sadie, not that I had never ridden before."

"Alright…just checking…so you're sure you're fine?"

"Tommy!" Jude could hear Henry chuckle from in front of the couple.

They had reached a clearing and Henry brought his horse up to a trot, Tommy following suit leaving Jude behind. Their laughter floated to her ears as her horse obstinately held it's ground, refusing to walk, must less trot or gallop. Noticing that Jude wasn't with them anymore the two men came to a halt and turned around, erupting into more laughter as Jude sat on her horse frustratedly kicking the sides and urging it forward.

"Jude, kick and snap your reigns at the same time." Jude made a face but tried it anyway and Midnight launched forward, almost throwing Jude off her back. She let out a scream while she tired to steady herself on the animal and once Henry and Tommy realized she was fine, they just laughed at her again.

"Not funny! Make her stop!"

"Pull back, she'll slow down." Jude did as she was told again and Midnight came to a skidding stop next to Henry.

"Next time…we stick to walking." They burst into laughter again as Jude pulled herself together, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears as she huffed at them.

"Never fear, we're almost there." Henry began to lead the way again and the horses meandered through a sparsely covered wooded area. The sun was shining through the tree tops and small animals could be heard scampering along the forest floor. Coming up to another clearing Jude saw a ravine with a stream running through it. Tommy hopped off Shadow and tied him to one of the trees then went over to Jude and lifted her off the saddle of Midnight.

"Oh I prefer the ground much more." Jude got down on all fours and pretended to kiss the ground as Tommy put up Midnight.

"So, what do you think?" Jude stood back up and took a look around before answering.

"Did you ever see Sleeping Beauty as a kid?"

Tommy started to shake his head no but Henry interrupted him "Yes he did, and don't you lie Tom." Tommy blushed and it was Jude's turn to laugh at him.

"Aw, you were a fan of the princess movies too, eh? No reason to blush Tommy." His cheeks flushed even more as he mumbled something and turned away pretending to fiddle with the saddle on Shadow, pulling out the picnic basket and a blanket.

"Well it reminds me of that movie, when Aurora's in the forest. It's so beautiful here." Jude turned to Henry who was now helping Tommy spread out the blanket.

The three sat down on the blanket relaxing before Jude spoke up. "You know  
I must say, you guys are way better than the others, minus the rogue horse of course."

"I prefer to let my wife hash out the drama. I'll just sit back, go fishing occasionally and enjoy a beer in front of the TV." Henry replied as he opened the basket and pulled out the prepared food.

"Well you must be a man after my own heart. No drama and you give you food. Quincy, I might just have to forget you and go after Henry." Jude playfully chided and elbowed him.

"Yeah yeah, you may have to after the Sleeping Beauty comment."

"I meant nothing of it, great movie in my opinion. But anyways. Henry, is this all part of the estate that is Northwood?"

"Yea, there's more property than house, and I'm sure you can believe that now. It's all personal property and where it actually ends, eh. Means nothing. The property would need to be surveyed again to know the boundaries."

"That's amazing. And it was your fathers?" Henry nodded while taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Passed down in every inheritance. Which is why Tom's next to get it." Henry clasped his hand on his grandson's shoulder and Tommy smiled lightly.

"So, if it's passed down to every son, why isn't your son getting it?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two men and Henry looked over at Tommy, raising an eyebrow.

"Um," Tommy tried to find the words to explain, "my dad died 14 years ago."

"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't know." Jude bit her lip and looked down at the blanket beneath them, not wanting to look either of them in the eye after her blunder.

"No harm done, sweetheart. That was a long time ago." Henry said.

"I know, but I still feel like a jerk, and-"

"Really sweetheart, you had no idea. Don't worry about it."

Jude nodded her head slowly as she now focused on her bottle. '_So any other secrets you're hiding from me, Tommy?_'


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's the next installment. It ends on a much lighter note. I hope you enjoy it, and make sure to read and review :) **

Despite her personal misstep during lunch, the rest of the day was wonderful. Henry excused himself to go on a walk of his own, leaving Tommy and Jude some time to themselves. They walked hand in hand in silence- Tommy enjoying the outdoors and Jude lost in her own little world where everyone was plotting against her and Tommy wasn't who he actually said he was.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jude snapped out of her daze and looked up to see his smiling face look down at her.

"My thoughts cost a little more now, fame will do that for a person."

"Well, just tell me the price. What's going on in that head of yours? Long silences from you can only mean you're thinking…and that's always potentially dangerous with you."

Jude raised an eyebrow before lightly hitting his arm. "Just…thinking. About how different everything would have been if I were pregnant, but it was stupid for me to even think that I could have been. My period isn't due until we go back home."

Tommy's face fell "So we go back home and then I have to wait even longer? That's cruel."

"And so is mother nature, sorry kid. At least you aren't left completely incapacitated because you didn't get any." Jude shrugged him off, shaking her head.

"You never know, but besides that, thinking about anything else?"

"Nosy today Quincy." She knew the answer she was searching for, but she couldn't bring herself to mention it again. Yes, she was dying to know why he had never mentioned his family, why he never mentioned his father's death, why Aubrey hated her without even knowing her. She was dying to know what else she didn't know about him.

"So…is that a yes?"

"No. Just that, and, well, if your mother is going to verbally castrate me again tonight."

"She should be on her best behavior tonight….that might not mean a whole lot, but she'll be better. I can guarantee it."

Jude led Tommy to a fallen tree trunk and they two sat down on it, looking out ahead of them. "Is it weird to think that you're going to own all of this one day?"

"Yes and no. I've grown up with this. It's been my grandparents since I can remember. But to actually own it myself, that means they'll have both died. And so far, I haven't had to imagine life without them. I take advantage of them. They've always been there for me and I was off gallivanting the world pretending that my family didn't exist. But to come back and be… "grown up" introducing my future wife to them, I've noticed how old they really are. I know they aren't going to live forever but I selfishly wish that they would."

Jude just nodded, surprised that he had said that much. They continued to sit there together and in silence most of the time until Tommy looked at his watch and mentioned they should be getting back. As they wandered back to the clearing where the horses were Henry was folding up the blanket and putting it into the empty picnic basket. The three mounted their horses and made their way back to the stable as the sun was starting to descend on their backs.

Putting the final touches on her make up, Jude stood back and gave herself the once over in the mirror. She wasn't sick, she wasn't nearly as apprehensive as before, and she most importantly, she no longer smelled of horse. She had on a pair of dark brown slacks with a cream cardigan over a soft pink cami. She wore her engagement ring and the necklace Tommy had bought for her the previous Christmas.

She heard a knock on her door and turned back from the mirror she was using to see Tommy leaning against the door frame, he smiled at her devilishly "You know, I think we could have some fun before dinner"

"Umm…no. Perfection," Jude waved her open hand in a circle in front of her face, "takes quite a bit of energy and time. Sorry mister."

"Shot down again." He shook his head, "What can I say, I'm really enjoying the whole 'hot soccer mom thing you're trying to do while we're here. You're like the hot Stepford wife."

"Oh God, do I look to marm-ish?" She started to doubt the outfit she had on and was making a beeline to the drawers she had emptied her clothes into earlier.

"Jude, no. You look great. And it doesn't matter. It's just a bunch of off the wall relatives, not the Pope."

"The Pope would be impressed with less than your mother. That's all I'm going to say though. But let's head down to the lion's I'm ready this time."

Hand in hand they made their way back to the now familiar dining room, and everyone seemed to be sitting as they were last night except the gap between Henry and Aubrey had been closed leaving two seats open across the table from them. Tommy was the perfect gentleman and pulled out the chair for Jude before he sat down himself.

Jude smiled demurely at a scowling Aubrey while taking a sip of water from the glass that was part of her place setting.

"Aubrey." Jude simply stated her name in acknowledgement and nodded her head at the sullen woman before directing her attention to everyone at the table, "I'm really sorry last night happened the way it did. From the bottom of my heart, apologies."

"Oh don't worry dear, we all fall ill from time to time, but who's hungry? Dinner should be out shortly…" And as if on cue, two servers emerged with large serving dishes of food that were laid out on the center of the table. With a couple more trips, everything was before them and smelled delicious. Dishes and platters were being passed around. Jude indulged herself in the home cooked meal that she usually didn't get at home. With the hours that she and Tommy racked up each week, they were lucky if the sun was still up when they left the studio for the day.

The conversation was sparse but everyone had been amiable enough up to this point. As soon as Flora spoke up everything took a drastic turn.

"So Jude, have you set a date for the weddin?" She propped up her face with her hand, elbows on the table as she leaned forward, desperate for information. Jude looked at her curiously. Flora had an accent, a very southern drawl while the rest of the family spoke sounding of wealth and influence. Jeffrey and Flora really were the black sheep of the family…and that was saying a lot for the Quincy's.

"Um..no, not yet. Tommy just asked me but a week ago and we've been busy with work since."

"Oh…" Her face fell. "You had to have thought about this before though, even if jus' as a lil girl?"

Jude smiled politely at her before answering, "Not a whole lot, I've just gotten as far as I'll be wearing a dress and it'll be white." Jude shrugged her shoulders. She had never really been one to plan her entire wedding out at the age of five, that was Sadie's area of expertise.

Aubrey faked a cough, gaining everyone's attention. "Oh darling, now wearing white on your wedding day, wouldn't that be considered…lying? You wouldn't want to go into such a sacred ceremony as a hypocrite."

"Mother.." Tommy's voice was terse as he stared her down.

"Oh Aubrey dear, it would be no worse than you wearing white for your wedding." Grand-mère spoke up with a smile and a tilt of her head. A laugh escaped past Jude's lips but she desperately tried to cover it up with a choking cough as Aubrey shot her a look but crawled back into herself, remaining quiet for the rest of the evening while the rest of the family exchanged more pleasantries and small talk.

With one dinner successfully finished without Jude bolting from the table in tears, she and Tommy retreated back to his room for a bit before they set off for bed, tired from their earlier excursion.

"So, half of a Quincy mystery solved, only a million more to go." Jude threw herself back onto the bed in the room Tommy was staying in, she stared up at the white ceiling. Tommy was kicking off his shoes before lying down next to her, their feet dangling over the edge.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

She let out a decided sigh and carefully constructed her sentence before speaking again, "It just means that I know about you. I know about the post Boyz Attack you, Tom Quincy songwriter slash producer extraordinaire. But I know nothing about your family, I don't know why your mother is a complete bitch to me, I had no idea your father had passed away fifteen years ago…"

"fourteen."

"Whatever, the point is I don't know about your childhood, your family. I'm starting to feel like I don't know you."

They both continued to look at the ceiling as it loomed above them. "My family isn't who I am. You know who I am, whatever happened before doesn't mean a whole lot to me."

"But I still want to know about it; don't you think that's fair?"

"Well what do I know about you from before Instant Star?"

"Okay, point taken, but at least you knew my family, you've gotten to know them…This is really bizarre for me, it's a little twilight zone."

"Well at the rate we're going…I'm sure you'll know all you need to know about my family and maybe even more than you ever cared to know about."

"And if I still have questions when we leave?"

"We'll have plenty to talk about on the ride home then."

"Fine…I should get to bed. God, I can't believe I have to sleep in a separate room. I feel like I'm fifteen and the warden has me on lock down." Jude rolled her eyes before propping herself up and leaning over to kiss Tommy good-night. "See you in the morning?"

"What if we did it in the shower? No one would hear if we were quiet."

"You are so pathetic. You aren't going to die and your libido isn't going to explode or anything. Just think of it as…building the suspense." Jude patted his leg before she got up and left the room with a wink and laugh.

She happily walked down the hall to her room, leaning against the door as she closed it. It had been a long day from a pregnancy scare, almost getting thrown from a horse, putting her foot in her mouth about Tommy's dad, and then dinner hell. She could only wait to do it all over again tomorrow night.

As she undressed, she talked to herself, scoffing at Aubrey's comments. "Not able to wear white. Pfft. I'll were whatever the hell I feel like wearing" She folded up her clothes before pulling out a pair of girl boxers and a tank, slipping both of them on. "But Grand-mère…oh, she'll expose that woman yet."

Jude crawled into bed after brushing her teeth and finishing getting ready for bed. Her cell phone was clutched in her hand so she could set her alarm. With the covers pulled up and her relaxing in bed, the silence of her room was broken. Jude couldn't place the noise at first, but it was this annoying repetitive thud. It sounded like someone was having a pillow fight in the room above hers. Her frustration grew as the noise continued, keeping her wide awake. She grabbed her phone from beside her and flipped it open. She maneuvered to the texting option and wrote a quick text to Tommy asking if he was still awake.

She closed her phone after the message was sent and lay still flat on her back willing the noise to stop.

"What small children did they put in the room above me and why the hell are they still awake?"

Her phone dinged and she smiled, flipping it open. His reply was a simple yes, so she exited her inbox and scrolled to his number, pressing send. After half of the first ring, she heard his voice on the other end "Do you realize how sad this is?"

"Well I can't sleep and I don't want to get in trouble with the warden."

"I thought you were tired?"

"Well I was. And then I crawled into bed and it sounds like the bed above me is being used as a trampoline."

"Well I'm sorry." Jude just shrugged though he couldn't see her and then something else caught her attention. A series of giggled and shrieks came through the ceiling and it hit Jude.

"Oh…gross!"

"What? Is everything okay?"

"You tell me." Jude pushed the covers down and stood up. "Hold on a sec," She put the phone in her mouth as she gripped one of the bed posts, carefully stepping on the solid headboard. As close to the ceiling as she could get the noise was louder now. She retrieved the phone from her mouth and brought it back to her ear, "hold on, I want you to hear this." She lifted the phone up to towards the ceiling, and now the banging of a headboard could be heard along with a couple of guttural moans. The banging was growing louder and more frantic until it stopped all together.

Bringing the phone back down to her ear, Jude carefully stepped back onto the mattress and heard Tommy's gagging and retching noises.

"So I take it you heard that?"

"You really know how to kill any desire I could have had all week."

"Well hey, less cold showers for you then, eh?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks. Now I can go to sleep and dream about my cousins having sex instead of you. I really appreciate that."

Jude laughed at him, "Oh you know me, Jude Harrison, always there to help."

"Uh huh, well I'm going to hang up now before they start round two. Sweet dreams Jude."

"I'd rather forgo the dreaming tonight. Night Tommy, love you."

"Love you too, girl."

As they hung up, Jude laid back down, shaking her head against the pillow. At the very least, at least someone was getting some this week. She surely wouldn't be.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Progress has been slow on this story, I've only managed to squeak out another chapter, but I will prevail. Read and Reviews are my candy. Thanks guys, you've all really been wonderful :) **

It was two in the morning and they were still at it. Did they have battery packs that they kept switching out? When ever they would take a small break, Jude would finally be able to drift off to sleep, and without fail, every time her eyelids would flutter closed the headboard would start up again, ramming against the wall. She surely didn't want to imagine the two naked country bumpkins going at it. But at the same time, she was somewhat amazed that no accents came out during sex.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, she pushed off the covers and stood up from her bed, raking her fingers through her hair before leaving her room. The hallway was dark except for the moonlight pouring through large open windows that lit her way as she pad footed down the hall. An erie glow cast shadows across the wide corridor and Jude crept with extreme caution. Paranoia overcame her as she reached Tommy's room with her hand on the doorknob, she looked both ways, straining to see if by some odd chance anyone- particularly Grand-mère or Aubrey were hiding out just waiting for Jude to "mess up". With no one in sight, she slowly twisted the handle and pushed the door open just enough for her to stick her head through.

Tommy was sound asleep and sprawled out across the bed. She would have to break him of this habit for a second time once they were back in Toronto again. Not having the heart to wake him just to keep her company she carefully closed the door again and continued down the hall. Finally reaching the staircase, she crept down trying to not make any noise along the way. She managed to do it with only one instance of the wood giving way and groaning under her weight. On the ground floor she wandered in the dark, her hands out before her as she made her way to the kitchen. As she neared, she noticed a dim glow from within and hoped that it was just a light that the staff had forgotten to turn off. She soundlessly crept towards the entrance until she promptly stubbed her toe against the framing of the entrance. Cursing in a fierce whisper, Jude brought attention to herself and a body which had been sitting at the table turned around and noticed Jude peeking around the corner. Henry motioned for her to join him once her hopping around on her good foot had subsided. She limped her way over to him, noticing a spread of milk and cookies on the table.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jude took a seat opposite of him, just as she had earlier in the day.

"I normally wake up around this time. Come down here and sneak in a midnight snack. Anna doesn't let me have cookies or whole milk. Something about high cholesterol and doctor's orders. Is your foot okay? It sounded like it hurt." He genuinely sounded concerned for her as he asked.

"I'll be fine, but I might just have to tell on you with the milk and cookies. I'd like to keep you around a little longer, and I'm sure Tommy would appreciate it too." Jude replied, teasingly.

Henry just smirked and pushed the plate towards her so it was equidistant between the two parties.

"Okay, fair enough." Jude grabbed a cookie and took a bite of the soft baked good.

"So sweetheart, why are you up?"

"Oh you know, couldn't sleep. I had hoped a warm glass of milk would help, but who am I to turn down cookies? And speaking of which…these are delicious. I can't imagine having a personal chef. Tommy and I would probably be a lot healthier though. The studio has been killing us lately." She shook her head and let out a heaving sigh.

Henry got up from the table and walked over to the cupboard retrieving a glass and filling it with milk for Jude. "You love it though, right?"

"Oh gosh yes. I can't imagine doing anything else. Or with anyone else." A smile crept across her features thinking about Tommy. She really couldn't imagine music with anyone else at this point. He had always been there for her, he inspired her, he pushed her, and he helped her grow as a musician more than she could ever have hoped for.

"He really loves you, sweetheart. You should have seen him earlier before we went out. You can't get him to stop talking about you." Henry nodded sagely before returning with the milk for Jude. He returned and put the glass in front of her and she thanked him before replying, "really?"

"Really." He nodded and smiled at her.

"Well then it's a shame that his mother doesn't like me. Henry, did I do something wrong? I just feel like I showed up and that was more than enough proof for her."

"Jude sweetheart, I'm just an old man who goes fishing on the weekends. I like hockey like any good Canadian, and I've lived a full life. And in my 72 years, I've successfully managed to avoid the gossip and drama Anna has gotten mixed in with. You're a doll from all that Tom has told me and I've seen, but I can't get involved in this now. I had to work hard to avoid everything."

Her head nodded in acceptance though it brought her no closer to any answers for the questions she had. "It's just that…I asked Tommy earlier today, after dinner and he wouldn't give me an answer. Told me that if I still had questions when we left then he would answer them. I don't want to play snoop. I feel like if I wanted to have my privacy respected, I should do that for others."

Henry just nodded wordlessly, "If you can hold true to that, you'll be fine, but the rest of them," Henry leaned in as if he was about to divulge all the secrets of the Quincy family, "they're vicious. Take my word for it sweetheart, don't get tangled up with them."

Jude laughed a little too loud before clasping her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. This family, malicious? Who would have thought.

Once Jude's giggles subsided she only shook her head at her pending Grandfather-in-law and his eyes twinkled with vitality and humor.

"Them? Nooo. I don't believe it. Oh, and by the way, thank you for today. Aside fromn nearly dying, I really had fun."

"Oh the horse was barely trotting."

"Um yeah, if you consider galloping a light trot."

"Quite the one for dramatics?"

"I could have been tossed from the horse, that's all I'm saying." Jude shrugged and suppressed the grin on her face. No wonder Tommy loved his grandparents. "You know, I see why Tommy loves you and Anna so much."

"Eh, it's nothing."

"No really," Jude reached out for one of Henry's hands on the table, "Despite Aubrey, I'm really glad that I got to meet you and Anna. I don't quite…understand her yet, but you two are good people. You must have done a great job raising Tommy's dad because Tommy is wonderful."

Henry just shrugged off her compliment. "Henry, can I ask you something?"

"Anything Sweetheart, but I can't always promise an answer."

"Fair enough. How did Tommy's dad die?" Her eyes were pleading as she looked at Henry, begging him for an answer.

"Cancer."

Jude's face fell, "Henry, I'm really sorry…"her voice trailed off and she looked down at the table, focusing on the grain of the wood as it swirled about in it's own pattern.

"Nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart."

"Can I ask you something else…why does most of the family disprove of his involvement with music?"

"Because-" He stopped himself short, almost telling her, "I think that's something Tom should tell you. Not really my place."

"Yeah…" Jude was now restless with her half answers and she looked around the kitchen only for her eye to catch the glowing green digital readout from the oven. It was three already and before she knew it, she'd have to be up again.

"Well Henry, I should get back to bed so I can be somewhat rested for whatever everyone has in store for me." Jude stood up and brought her glass to the sink before returning to the table and giving Henry a goodnight kiss on the cheek, "Night Grand-père."

"Night sweetheart."


	11. Chapter 11

Luckily for Jude, Jeffrey and his wife had finally passed out from exhaustion by the time she made it back to her room to try and get some sleep before she would have to be up again to battle the masses. She crawled back into bed and she was asleep before her head hit the pillow this time. As if it had only been moments before the alarm she had set on her cell phone rang out and the polyphonic ring tone of Jason Mraz woke her up with a start.

She blindly groped for her phone, finally finding it she pressed the silent button on the side and groaned that morning came so early. Rolling out of bed, she stumbled down the two stairs that led to the mattress and into the bathroom. She reached inside the shower door and turned on the water waiting for it to heat up. Going back outside, she pulled out a casual pair of jeans and a short sleeved form fitting hoodie. She also pulled out a camisole and her undergarments, bringing them back into the bathroom with her, along with a towel. She disrobed and left the clothes in a pile on the floor before opening the shower door and stepping inside.

The hot water was so deliciously inviting and painful at the same time. It burned her skin, turning it a light shade of pink as it pelted her. She stood with her back to the door as the water doused her hair, matting it against her face and back. 

Letting out a sigh, trying to expel all of her exhaustion and general frustration with being there, she rested her forearms against the cool tile and her head against the backs of her hands. With the roar of the water falling around her she didn't hear Tommy enter the bathroom, nor did she see his blurred outline through the frosted glass of the shower. He too disrobed, quickly before Jude noticed the presence of someone else close to her. Quietly he opened the shower door and stepped inside. The sudden rush of cold air hit Jude and she turned around to see what had caused it only to see her fiancé standing in front of her, an undisguised devilish look on his face. 

"Tommy!" She whispered fiercely, trying to push him out of the shower, "I'll be crucified for this, get out!" 

"Please, no one saw me sneak into your room. You're fine. And I do mean that, you are quite fine." His smirk made her go weak in the knees. Damn him and his charm. He walked towards her in the expansive shower and kept going until she backed up against the wall. Trapping her between his own body and the cool tile, the water poured over both of them as Tommy began his tender assault on her lips. Jude sighed again, but this time out of contentment. His mouth left her lips and continued down her neck to her shoulder and collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses along the way. Jude's head lolled back in the satisfaction of his touch and she just enjoyed having him close to her again, especially under the waterfall of hot water. His hands skimmed over her body, taking in every curve and dip when Jude heard the voice of a grandmother with perfect timing ring out from the bedroom.

"Jude?" With the sound of Grand-mère's voice Jude's body tensed under Tommy's mouth and he snapped his head up, catching the frightened look in his eye.

"Umm…yes Grand-mère?"

"Of course, you're in the shower. Hold on a second…"

"NO! I mean…no, I'm pretty self-conscious and you can see through the glass. I can hear you just fine from here. Now what was it you needed?" Jude was busy frantically looking around the stall to see if there was any possible way of hiding Tommy. But large glass rectangles weren't exactly conducive to hiding fiancés.

"Oh don't be silly dear, we all have the same parts. Though I'd venture a guess yours might be a little more perky than mine these days."

"No, really Grand-mère. I'm terribly self-conscious. Can you please just tell me from outside the bathroom?" Jude frantically motioned for Tommy to press himself against the far wall in the shower and hopefully Grand-mère would respect Jude's wishes. At the threshold of the bathroom, Grand-mère finally stopped and Jude poked her head out.

"Yes?"

She looked at Jude peculiarly but continued with her reason for coming to Jude's room. "Dear, we're going to be having afternoon tea, just us girls. Make sure you're in the sunroom at two thirty."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Alright, well enjoy the first half of your day." Anna turned to leave but turned back around, her mouth poised to say something but she just shook her head, vetoing herself and left this time.

With her out of the room and the door closed behind her, Jude let out a sigh of relief and pulled her head back into the shower.

"That," She pointed towards the bedroom, "Is why you aren't getting any. Now get out before she comes back. I should have stood my ground the first time." She opened the shower door and grabbed his wrist to drag him out of the shower but he held his stance, not moving.

"Come on Jude. She's not going to be coming back." Tommy let himself be pulled, but towards Jude, not the door. His arm wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him.

"It could be fun, a quiet…fun… "grown-up" game." He kissed along her jaw line between each word and used air quotes with his free hand.

"Cousin. Banging. Banging cousin."

"Ugh." He pulled away from her his face sour. "Do you have to keep bringing that up?"

"Uh, yeah. It's the only thing that'll get you off of me. Now get out!" She playfully swatted his bare backside. And he resignedly got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"But when we get back…" he looked crestfallen remembering he still wouldn't be getting any once they were back in the privacy of their apartment.

"When we get back I'll take care of you. And shower sex is still an option. Now go. I need to shower and pretty myself up."

He huffed before leaving, "Fine, but come and find me once you're done. I want to see you before you're tossed into the ring again."

"Of course." With that, she closed the shower door again and started to bathe herself while mentally preparing for the day.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm so sorry guys, life has been crazy and not in such a fantastic way lately. It's a rather lengthy story that involves a couple trips to the doctors, bloodwork and a perscription. But all is well now and hopefully I'll be able to find my muse again, he's on the loose. Thank you all for the continued support and again, so sorry for neglecting my fiction. **

Tommy and Jude had spent the rest of the late morning together wandering around outside In the fresh air, the walked through a second garden that Jude didn't even realize had existed and then went back to visit Shadow and Midnight again, this time Jude had stolen the sugar cubes from the kitchen. They walked hand in hand, talking about everything and nothing. What they would be working on when they got back to the studio, vaguely touched on the wedding plans that Jude groaned at the thought of, what she thought of the family so far, and before they knew it, it was time for Jude to get back to the house.

"So, do you know where the sunroom is? The house is so big, I nearly got lost on the way to the kitchen last night."

"And what were you doing there last night?"

"Oh, I just had to have my late night romp with Mitchell. He's quite good I must say."

Tommy rolled his eyes, "So you'll sleep with the help, but not me. Thanks."

"Your welcome, I figured since some people already think I'm a whore I might as well act the part."

"Jude," His voice dropped from its usual tone to a patronizing one of warning. "She doesn't think-"

"Alright, she doesn't think I'm a whore…just that I'm pregnant with your unborn child and not the first one at that."

"See, it's more me than you." Jude just shook her head and leaned her body against him as they continued to walk back towards the house, "Quincy, you're impossible, but I love you."

"I love you too, Jude."

He led her down a series of hallways, taking several turns and finally led her to two large floor to ceiling double doors that were closed. He grasped the ornate handle and pushed it down while leaning into the door to open it. The entered a room with floor to ceiling window after window. On the far side of the room, there was a small sitting area that had been situated around trays of finger sandwiches and an array of pastries and such. Jude could see Grand-mère and Marigold sitting next to each other, Grand-mère sitting very still and upright in her chair, while Marigold was busy knitting what looked to be a sweater. The couple walked forward towards them and Tommy cleared his throat to announce their arrival. Grand-mère snapped out of her odd hypnotic state and stood up from her chair to greet her grandson and Jude. Her midnight blue muumuu fanned out behind her as she made her way towards them, hand gestures flying and she made quite the production of crossing ten feet of space.

"Thomas! Jude! Now Jude, this was meant to be girl time..."

"I'm just dropped her off Grand-mère, no worries. She didn't want to get lost and be late so I offered to show her the way. One piece, alright Grand-mère?"

She smiled at him devilishly but nodded her head, "Of course Thomas, one piece."

Tommy looked down at Jude and gave her a chaste kiss before speaking up, "I'll see you later."

Jude nodded and watched him retreat towards the door, pulling the heavy wooden door shut behind him. Grand-mère ushered Jude towards the sofa and she resumed her position in her chair, "We're just waiting for Aubrey." Jude nodded but it went unseen by both Anna and Marigold.

Marigold was happily knitting away, unaware that Jude had even joined them and Anna had her eyes shut in a meditative state. Her hands rested on the armrests of the chair and she sat straight backed and seemed to be in deep concentration. Jude opened and closed her mouth several times before finally speaking up.

"Grand-mère…"

"Shhh…I'm exercising dear."

"But you're sitting in a chair." Jude looked at the older woman as if she had completely lost her mind this time.

"Dear, you don't exactly break a sweat doing kegals."

"Kegals." Jude repeated after her, still just as confused.

"Like I said to you earlier. We all have the same parts, you're are just a little perkier and might I add tighter."

"Oh..my…"Jude couldn't even finish her thought as she sat there in horror. Tommy's grandmother did not just tell her she was doing that.

"I've been doing them for ages now. Henry certainly appreciates it, and I'm sure Thomas would think it was a wonderful surpri-"

"Okay! I'm not having this conversation with you right now." Jude's hands covered her face and she tried to wish away and visuals she was getting at the moment. After a moment she looked up from her hands. "I…don't get you."

Anna opened her eyes to look at Jude, "Get what, dear?"

"You. You make us sleep in separate beds, I have to listen to Jeffrey and Flora having sex in the room above me, and now, you're telling me to do kegals for Tommy? But you don't want us having sex?"

Anna let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes as if she were 16 again. "Dear," Her tone was patronizing, and that must be where Tommy got it from. "I can't stop you and Thomas from being intimate. And I realize that, so I might as well make it worth your while."

"So we can-"

"Absolutely not." Anna winked at Jude and she just suppressed a smile and nodded her head slowly. Anna was unlike any other woman she had ever met. Finally, Marigold looked up from her needles and beamed at Jude. "Oh my! What a pleasant surprise! when did you get here?"

"I-"

"She just got here, Marigold dear."

"Ohhh, how delightful!" She squealed and clapped her hands, dropping her current project.

"But isn't it dear? Why don't you go back to your project?"

Marigold's eyes were wide and doey as she nodded obediently. With Marigold back on her project, Grand-mère turned to Jude again, leaning over the armrest. "So dear, while I was in your room today, I noticed something."

"You know, I consider it eco-friendly." Jude's heart was racing. Damnit, she did notice and now Jude was going to be forced to kill Quincy. And that would be a terrible waste of a fiancé.

"But dear, something like that is unacceptable."

"I know, and it'll never happen again. It was his idea. I tried to stop him, but he was so insistent, and I tried to push him out, but he just wouldn't leave."

"Dear, we have them and pay them for a reason."

"I know and- wait. I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?"

"The dust in your room. I'm surprised you haven't been overcome by allergies yet!"

"Right. Allergies. Dust. Yeaahhh…" Jude felt a blush creep up her cheeks and she quieted down.

"Of course dear, I'll have to have one of the help take care of that for you, but I do have a question for you."

"Yes?" Jude looked back up at Anna before she continued to ask her question.

"Do you always sleep in two pairs of night clothes?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: hi guys, again, sorry for neglecting you. Uh, but I have a present! 6 chapters for you including this one. Writing has been slow, I've pertty much lost motivation to write, but I'm not going to let this idea die. It's just taking awhile. Love you all, reviews are crack.

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"Well you see," Jude started off, tossing her hand nonchalantly. "I was in the shower."

"Mmhmm." Anna propped herself up with her arm as she leaned on the armrest now.

"And so, well, you see what happened was.."

"Yes?"

"You know, it wasn't my idea!" Jude finally managed to spit out. "I was just happily showering, minding my own business and he was just being his typical persistent self. Doesn't take no for an answer, every night since we've gotten here, 'Jude, please' 'Come on, Jude' 'No one would hear us in the show-' shit."

Her eyes were as wide as saucers and her hand flew over her mouth, silencing her before she could say anything else. "Oh God….I can't believe I just said all of that." She dropped herself to her knees in front of the couch and looked towards the ceiling, her hands reached out, "Why? Why me, and why now!" It was a bit dramatic, but she could not believe she had just said that to her fiancés grandmother. After her display, she collapsed to the ground and the doors to the sunroom swung open and Aubrey walked in and the room seemed to freeze over with her presence. Jude was still curled in a ball on the floor when she heard her icy voice.

"I'm assuming you spend a lot of time in that position."

Jude's body tensed at the voice but she was quick on her feet today, "found it!" She victoriously held up a piece of lint from the carpet. "darn earring…I always seem to have problems with this one." Jude jumped back up onto the sofa and pretended to put an earring back in as Aubrey walked towards the three women already present. She took a seat on the far end of the sofa Jude was on, perched at the very edge, one leg crossed over the other.

Anna looked over at Jude and winked and Jude did all she could to hide her embarrassment.

"Well now, now that everyone is finally here, I thought it would be fun to spend some time together! Maybe talk about wedding plans, Jude, I had the help pick up some magazines while they were out today."

"Oh goody." She plastered a fake smile on her face and feigned giddiness as she clapped her hands together.

"Everyone help yourself, we have some delightful snacks and tea." The four women fixed small plates for themselves and Anna served the tea in a beautiful set of cups and they all sat in silence, no one willing to end the temporary peace.

"So," Anna began, "Have you thought about the wedding at all, dear?"

Jude set her cup back down on the delicate saucer before saying anything. "Well Tommy and I talked about it a little bit before he brought me down here, just vague details. We don't want the wedding to be a huge event. The press is already going to have a field day once we get back to work and so we don't really want to encourage them with a huge ceremony and a 500 person guest list. Something smaller, family and close friends. It's important that we know the people who are attending our wedding."

Anna nodded, "right, well we can work on that. Anything else?"

"We were thinking an outdoors wedding. I kind of always imagined the beach at sunset. Torched lights, going down the aisle barefoot…"

"The sand flying everywhere in the guests faces, small bugs buzzing everywhere, a noisy ocean. How romantic." Aubrey finished Jude's idea and made a sour face. "Quincy's get married in a church, a cathedral would be preferred if there's one available."

"With all due respect Mrs. Quincy," Jude's voice was tense as she carefully picked her words before she continued, "This is my wedding and I think the decisions should be made between Tommy and I."

"Darling, that's a noble thought, but I am his mother."

"Yes, and it's our wedding."

"Well I'm glad that's settled then, and you're so understanding about it."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"No, no. That's fine. You can have the wedding."

"Thank you." Jude sounded relieved that Aubrey had conceded so easily. "I really appreciate that."

"Of course, but you'll just have to let me take care of the engagement party."

"Engagement party?"

"Of course, I'll need a list of your family and friends, people from work and such." Her voice was loaded with fake interest and joy. This was going to be hell.

"Um, could we maybe discuss this later? In private? Or with Tommy?" Jude suddenly felt very out of place again in this world that they had created for themselves.

"Dear," Anna softly intervened. "I think that would be a good compromise. I would be willing to offer the house. And there's a hotel not to far from here, we could rent out the rooms for the guests to stay overnight so they won't have to travel back to Toronto in the dark."

Anna had a point. An engagement party would be one less thing that she had to worry about and she could really dig into the wedding plans and it would keep Aubrey busy and out of her hair for a while.

"Wonderful." The word was stretched and it hung in the air as Jude gave another tight lipped smile to Aubrey.

"Well with that settled I suppose I should go and make some calls. I don't have much time and Jude, do get with Thomas and get that list of guests to me soon." Aubrey set down her tea cup and swept out of the room in an instant and Jude sat, perplexed and confused as to what had just happened. With the door shutting behind Aubrey, Jude looked over to Anna and opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out and her brow furrowed even more.

"Did I just…?"

"Trust me dear, it's for the best. Give her the party, go and be merry, and you keep the wedding."

Jude let out a relinquished sigh and shook her head at how fast the entire scene had taken place. "I just want to get married. Be with the man that I love for the rest of my life. Is that really too much to ask for?"

Anna laughed heartily. "Dear, you have a lot to learn. But now that the wicked wit-I mean, now that Aubrey is gone, how about that survey?"

"Oh God, they weren't kidding. You actually have a survey."

"It's not a paper survey, but it's all up here." She slowly tapped the temple of her head and a Cheshire like grin crossed her features.

"Why are you so interested in your grandchildren's sex lives? Doesn't that seem like….an invasion of privacy? Of my privacy?"

"Why did Kinsey do his surveying?"

"For research purposes. That is totally different though."

"And how so dear?"

"You aren't writing a book!"

"I'm not? Okay, let's not call it a survey, let's converse. So have you and Tommy been intimate since you've gotten here?"

"No, absolutely not!" Jude's had connected with her forehead. She could not believe that Anna, the beloved Grand-mère was doing this. The survey was supposed to be a joke.

"Now, when you're at home, how many times a week do you-"

"Ohmygod. No. Why me? Why not ask him? Is this some sort of sick test? How do I pass and make it end? Do I give in? Do I not? Do I run and hide under the covers of my bed?" The words and questions were tumbling out faster than she could stop them and she looked just as frazzled as she sounded.

"It's just bonding, dear. Go ahead; ask me anything about Henry and I."

"You know what, I think I'm going to pass on that one." Jude shut her eyes tight and shuddered to try and rid herself of any images of her future grandparents-in-law. Once she believed she had successfully completed that task she opened her eyes again and smiled sweetly at Marigold who was staring at her with big glossy eyes.

"So Marigold," Jude started trying to divert the conversation to anything else aside form sex in any shape or form. "Do you still have those pictures of your boyfriend?" She nodded enthusiastically and reached for her purse.


	14. Chapter 14

"No, Sadie, she was relentless. If it wasn't about Tommy and I, she was trying to tell me about her and Henry. And I mean, great. It's good to know that virility runs in the family but God, it was so awkward. And it was like she was trying to get me to crack under the pressure. But no, she wasn't even the worst part. His mother. She's such a bitch! And now that bitch is planning my engagement party- no. I know! I didn't even want one but she insisted and if it's a way to get her out of my hair and wedding plans for a little bit then hey, I'm all for it."

Jude stood in front of the kitchen, a cook book open before her, a pot boiling on the stove and her stationed in front of a cutting board carefully slicing away at a cucumber as she prepared dinner. The phone was cradled against her ear with her shoulder and she continued to chat away, unaware that Tommy was home from the studio after a meeting he had with Darius and Liam.

"Yeah, so make sure that you have the day off and please, please, please bring Kwest with you? I need all the support and backup I can get. It'll be cocktail attire. Yeah, no, I don't know what I'm going to be wearing yet. Portia sent me home with about ten dresses. That was not fun to get up to the apartment but it looks like I should be able to find something from the stack.

Oh, it's just the norm- some Caché, Windsor, I think she might have thrown in a few Betsy Johnson's, A.B.S. All nice but nothing huge so if I ruin it then it won't break the bank."

Jude's laughter rang out at something her sister said, "Yeah, well, you two know me all too well. And there's an amazing dress in here that would look great on you if you want to stop by, yeah- no, she won't mind. Pfft. The perks of what I do, all the freebies!"

"Jude, I'm home!" Tommy's voice rang out from the other side of their apartment.

"Oh, hey Sadie, I gotta go…" Jude laughed again at her sister, "Well that's just the life of domesticity, you just wait. Kwest will tie you down soon enough! Yeah, call me later, love you sis!"

Jude set down the knife to turn off the phone, setting it down by the cutting board just as the timer dinged for Jude to take the boiling pasta off of the stove and pouring it into the waiting colander she had in the sink. The steam rose up and billowed around her as Tommy made his way into the kitchen.

"Dinner? You're cooking?"

"You know I can cook, it's just that we're always in the studio so late, but I figured it would be a nice change."

"It is, I like this side of you." He walked towards her and reached out, his hands on her hips as he pulled her closer into a kiss.

"Well don't get too used to it," She nuzzled against the crook of his neck before continuing, "Could you set the table for me, hun?"

Tommy feigned a hurt look as he pulled away, "That's all I'm good for, you use me, wear me out, and ask me to set the table." With a playful 'hmph' he walked over to a set of cabinets and pulled out two plates and cups before walking across the kitchen to the silverware drawer and retrieved two sets of utensils.

"Oh, before I forget," Tommy left the kitchen to go and set the table, "My mother called again. She wants to know what color your dress is for the party so you don't "clash" with the color décor and she wants to know if we'll be staying the night there, or if they need to book an extra room in the hotel."

"Ugh, it's just a dress, and it's just linens for tables. I don't even know what I'm going to wear. Portia sent me home with that stack that's on the bed and I don't even want to go and try them on. And hotel room. Definitely."

"Mmmm, is Jude Harrison finally going to let me get lucky after we visit my family?"

"I never said that."

"Why do you keep shooting me down like that!" He pouted while finishing up setting the table.

"Please Quincy, don't act like you're neglected. You must have some sort of short term memory loss if you forgot the couch that led to the bed, which ended up in the shower." Jude rolled her eyes at him while bringing out the bowls of pasta and salad and he contemplated the idea thoughtfully before smirking, "that was one of my better performances."

She laughed at his arrogance. "Whatever, Tommy"

"Oh come on, you know it was good. If I do recall, the neighbors had to call to make sure everything was okay. 'Oh Tommy, Tommy!'" He mimicked her cries as he filled up the two glasses with water. She opened her mouth to protest but could only manage to laugh.

"Whatever. Lets eat before it gets cold so I can call your delightful mother back."

The two sat across from each other at their small table and ate with casual, superficial conversation. How work was, the meeting after Jude left, a new song Jude had been working on, nothing to serious. As their meal was coming to a close, Tommy set down his fork and took a drink of water before asking Jude the question of the hour.

"So, Can you tell me exactly why you're letting my mother plan the engagement party? I thought we decided that we weren't even going to have one." Jude set down her utensils and sighed. She had been doing that a lot lately, sighing. But it was something that couldn't be helped. Sometimes the inflection in the sigh was better than her spending five minutes explaining herself.

"Because, I wanted to keep her out of wedding plans. We obviously don't get along, she's probably going to make the evening hellish anyways so…whatever. I really don't care. And Anna thought it was a good idea too."

"You and my grandmother are practically best friends now, when did that happen?"

"Once I realized that she doesn't particularly like Aubrey either. Why is that anyways?"

Tommy pursed his lips together and looked down at his plate, a few strands of pasta were swirled in an abstract design against the crisp white dish.

"Right, just another Quincy family mystery. You know, I don't know why I bother. All week people gave me that look, every time I tried to figure something else out it was always 'I don't think it's my place, go ask so and so.' And when I go to ask them, they tell me to ask the person I just talked to!" Jude pushed her chair back roughly and stood up, "I'm getting pretty damn tired of the runaround with you." She stalked off to the bedroom leaving Tommy dumbfounded. He had no idea where her outburst had come from but he knew better than to go chasing after her right this minute. The last time he tried that he had to go buy a new lamp the next day.

He silently cleared the table of dinner, scraping leftovers into Tupperware containers and loading the dishwasher, setting it to run before going to apologize to Jude. Taking a deep breath, he poked his head into the bedroom they shared, a rainbow of dresses were scattered across the bed along with a rather large suitcase of shoes and accessories. It had obviously been the work of Portia. He knocked against the door, not daring to enter without her permission- he wasn't stupid.

She looked up and acknowledged him before turning back to her dresses wordlessly. She picked up a pale pink dress with frills and raw edges along the skirt. Holding it up to her body she turned around and looked at herself in the full length mirror hanging on the back of her closet door.

"Jude…please?"

"I'm not stopping you from walking into your own room." Her voice was icy and he frowned at it but stepped inside anyway.

He walked over to the bed that was covered in silks, charmeuse, taffeta and crinoline. His fingers danced over the slick fabrics and he stopped at a ruby dress. It was floor length and had a plunging haltered neckline adorned with a rhinestone brooch. Picking up the hanger he brought it over to her, taking the pink dress from her hands and handing her the new one. She held it in front of her head for a few seconds before shaking her head no.

"Too senior prom."

Turning away from the mirror she walked back to the bed and tossed the dress down carelessly before reaching for another one. Looking at the dresses down on the bed she shook her head in annoyance and started to mumble to herself, "too casual, too short, too formal…ugh!" She finally grabbed another dress, this one a periwinkle blue. The bust of the dress looked like it had lacy, matching lingerie peaking out from behind the dress. The bottom of the floor length dressed out with inserts of chiffon between the panels of charmeuse. The back of the dress laced up with a thin strap and tied near the small of her back.

Her earlier anger vanished and she turned to Tommy with the dress "This one?" 

"It's nice."

"Okay, I'll take that as a no."

"No, I mean, it's nice, but I don't know. Not very…you. It's kind of busy." He took the dress from her hands and threw it in the growing discard pile with something caught his eye. From under the decreasing mountain of dresses to still pick through.

"I got it." He held up an emerald green dress from the bottom of the stack and handed it to her. "Go try it on."

"But Tommy, it looks just like-"

"No arguments, go try it on." He gave her a light push towards the bathroom and she shot him a scowl before relenting and closing the door behind her. A few minutes later Jude emerged from the bathroom. Tommy smiled lightly and nodded, "That's the one."

The dress was the same color as the dress she had worn to her sixteenth birthday party but this dress was held up by two thin straps over each shoulder and started at the knees in the front to only have the hem dip down to the floor in the back.. The skirt of the dress looked like it wrapped around and was tied by a thin strap under the bust line. The dress was stunning on Jude and flowed behind her as she walked towards the mirror to examine herself.

"You're lucky Quincy. This dress just got you out of the doghouse and sleeping in your own bed tonight."

Tom let out a relived sigh. "I am pretty lucky then, Jude, you're so beautiful."

"Sucking up is unnecessary. You've already got the bed back." Her hands were on her hips and she stood and looked at him through his reflection in the mirror. He advanced towards her, his trademark smirk present on his face. Once behind her, his hands found their way to her hips, "And what if I'm working on more than just sleeping in my own bed tonight?" His hot breath tickled her ear and she giggled like a school girl.

"Stop it, I'm not giving in."

"Really?" He began to kiss along the shell of her ear, all the while his eyes never left her through the reflection in the mirror. A sigh of contentment escaped past her lips, "…I hate that you always win."

"No you don't, now let's go and…what did you call it? Conserve water? No…let's go be 'eco-friendly.'" His hands found the side zipper on the dress and started to pull it down so they could go and get that shower together.

Within minutes, they were pawing at each other again and the steaming water was pouring down both of them when Jude heard the doorbell from the front of the apartment.

Tommy groaned as she pulled away. "Don't get that, I'm begging you, please. Don't. Get. That."

"Tommy, I had someone dropping off samples for the wedding, what if it's them?"

"Who drops of samples after five in the evening?"

"It could be them. I'll be right back."

Tommy whined and his fist hit the tiled shower wall in frustration as she slipped out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her frame and left the bathroom, a trail of water following her as she carefully stepped along the wood floors to the door.

Unlocking the deadbolt, she opened the door to someone's back, "I'm sorry, may I help yo- Oh God, how the hell did you find me?"

"Oh, you know me. I have my ways!"

"But whhhhyyy?" She felt like throwing a full out tantrum in the middle of her living room. Pounding fists and flailing legs against the floor.

"Jude, who's at the door?" Tommy's voice came from the room followed by him a second later, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Can you just come back to the- Oh God." He froze as he rounded the corner into the living room. He stood there wide eyed at the person beside Jude.

"So dear, I take it when you told me that you two were never intimate in the shower, you weren't exactly truthful? Or were you trying something new today? You know, experimentation can be fun sometimes."


	15. Chapter 15

"You know what, I'm just going to go and take that shower alone now, Tom, entertain your grandmother until I'm done. Thanks hun!" Jude blew him a kiss and scampered off before he had the opportunity to protest. Once she was back in the bathroom, she slammed the door behind her, making no mistake and locking it too. She leaned against the door trying to figure out how on earth that woman had found her and Tommy. Her options were limited seeing as how she hadn't been living with him that long, not even a full year yet so who knew if anyone had his address to send Christmas or birthday cards.

She hung her towel over the rack next to the shower and turned the water back on to add to the already steamed mirror as she tried to pull herself back together. Home in Toronto was supposed to be solitude, she was glad to finally be away from his family and yet, there she was, standing at the door…and then there they were…both in towels. Oh God. Her head hit the cool ceramic tiles and she groaned at the thought of why Anna was here, or even how long she was planning on staying.

Tommy stood in the living room, dripping wet with a crisp white towel tucked around his waist and he stared dumbfound at his grandmother who had a decent sized luggage bag with her.

"Grand-mère….why are you here?" Tommy's voice was harsher than he expected and he felt a pang as her face fell for the first time. He had managed to knock her off of her poised pedestal and he actually felt a bit of remorse. "I didn't mean it like that, look, sit down, make yourself comfortable and let me get some…clothes on. I'll be right back." He leaned in and gave his grandmother a quick kiss on the cheek before.

He left for his and Jude's room and quickly rifled through his drawer for something to throw on. Ending up with basketball shorts and an undershirt he threw them on and before leaving the room, he took a deep collecting breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. Reentering into the living room, he saw that Grand-mère had made herself quite comfortable, flipping through a photo album that Jude had brought over with her when she moved in. The pictures started with her winning instant star and continued on chronologically until they ceased and blank pages were left closer to the back of the book.

"Well I'm glad you're comfortable here." His voice was much lighter than it was initially and Anna looked up and smiled at him before turning back to the album in front of her. "Sit, tell me about these pictures."

Obediently Tommy sat down next to his grandmother and gazed over at the picture she was pointing too. He smiled ruefully as he remembered that day. It was a picture of Tommy and Jude together before her 16th birthday. Victoria had managed to snap a picture of the two of them before Shay and the kiss that didn't happen had taken place. He was leaning into her, whispering something for her ears only and her smile was as bright as ever.

"That was from her 16th birthday, I might have broken her heart that night."

"Might have? Dear, there's no 'might have' when it comes to a woman's heart."

"Okay, I crushed it. It was stupid, but she was only 16….and I was….not 16 anymore. But that picture was taken before her current boyfriend broke up with her and I might have accidentally kissed her in the alleyway afterwards."

"Ahh…And you cared for her then?"

"I guess I always did from the day I met her." Tommy smiled bashfully and Anna just patted his knee in understanding. She flipped forward a few more pages and pointed to a new picture. A more genuinely happy smile crossed his face and Anna raised an eyebrow, silently asking for the story behind it.

_"Look cute you two!"_

"Are you telling me I'm not already cute, Sades?" Jude pouted and Tommy just shook his head and laughed at his girlfriend.

"Well Tommy has this look of permanent contemplation on his face, so…Look cute Tommy."

"Sadie, just take the damn picture before ants get to all this food." There was an array of picnic foods out before them on a red and white checkered blanket. The Harrison sisters decided it would be fun to picnic in the park with the weather finally warming up, and who were Kwest and Tommy to disagree with the unstoppable duo.

"You want cute?" Jude asked, an idea finally popping into her head, "Here's cute" She pulled Tommy's face towards her giggling and kissed him, laughing against his lips. 

Looking at the picture now, it was more of two smiles touching than an actual kiss, both of them laughing and smiling at Jude's unexpected actions. "That was a picnic Sadie, Jude's sister and Jude had planned. They decided a double date and time away from work would be good for Kwest and I."

"Oh, how is he? Such a nice, behaved young man."

Tommy couldn't help but snort at Anna's description. But she was somewhat right, Kwest knew how to lay it on thick and did so the one time he had met Anna before. She just gave him a look and he quickly apologized before they continued with the pictures, her pointing and him giving the story.

The next two pictures came as a set, their weekend trip to the beach. Jude snapped a picture of him napping, his favorite worn and faded baseball cap over his face. The next picture was of Jude who was laying on her stomach, bikini strings untied so she wouldn't end up with any lines and her head turned towards Tommy. Her lips puckered as if blowing a kiss towards the camera. 

"How long were you there?" Anna studied the pictures, both of them slightly pink from sunburn.

"The weekend. We were fried from overtime and needed to get away."

"It would be terribly inappropriate for me to ask if you-"

"Yes. I don't even want to know how you were going to finish that, Grand-mère."

She chuckled lightly before continuing anyway against his own requests, "I just want to make sure that my grandson has a healthy sexual appeti-"

"Grand-mère!" He whined uncomfortable. She had this uncanny ability to make him feel like he was 12 years old again and he just happened to be caught with a dirty magazine. Only she could make him feel that awkward. 

"Alright, I can always get it out of Jude later." She winked at him.

"Get what out of me?" Jude came up behind them, she was dressed casually and drying her hair with her towel as she moved towards the couch, she leaned in and kissed Tommy on the cheek before looking at Anna curiously.

"The weekend that you two spent at the beach, did you two enjoy your time there?"

Jude paused for a second remembering their time there, laying out on the sand, and then the humorous and failed attempt at sex the second night they were there when the pain of their sunburns were too much. She laughed as she remembered and Anna just nodded and smiled.

"See dear, I told you I would get my answer."

"What? I didn't say anything."

"You didn't need to. I know these things, don't think I haven't tried them all before."

"Grand-mère." The young couple pleaded simultaneously before all three of them burst into a fit of laughter.


	16. Chapter 16

"Okay, okay….I'll stop. For now." She winked at Jude who just shook her head at the crazy but lovable woman.

"But seriously Grand-mère, is there any particular reason for this visit?"

"Possibly…Thomas?" Anna turned to her grandson who didn't need anymore. He got up from the couch and let the two women talk in private while he went to the kitchen for a drink. Jude replaced his seat on the couch and looked at Anna curiously, the album still in her hands.

"So…" she started apprehensively.

"Right, I'm sure you want to know why I showed up on Thom- um, your doorstep unannounced."

"A bit curious, yes."

"Well…I thought that maybe…I could possibly," Anna bit her lip out of apprehension and for the first time since Jude had met her, she seemed genuinely unsure of herself.

"What is it Anna?"

"I hate that name, Grand-mère dear."

"Well Grand-mère, why are you here? I don't bite, I promise, unlike you." Anna laughed lightly before looking up at Jude.

"I just thought that maybe, in a more…normal situation we could spend some time together. Without me pestering you like I had before and maybe help you with some wedding plans?"

"Is that it?" Jude looked at the older woman doubting her response, there had to be something else.

"Yes…no. It's just, with Aubrey planning the engagement party, she's practically thrown me out of my own house, it's hellish and I couldn't stand to be around her anymore so I thought maybe a little city vacation would be nice. And much needed"

Jude couldn't help but burst out laughing. A hysterical, side splitting, tear inducing laughter. Anna looked at her dumbfounded as Jude tried to calm herself down. Once she was no longer gasping for air, she started to apologize to Anna, "I'm sorry it's just," gulps of air were being taken in as Jude calmed herself, "Aubrey…you really hate…" And again Jude doubled over in laughter. When Jude caught the stern look from Anna she quickly sobered up.

It was now Jude's turn to look apprehensive and unsure, "sorry." She replied quietly. But when she looked up at Anna, she saw a wide smile break out across her face.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for someone like you dear."

"What?"

"You won't bend over backwards for anything. You're just what Thomas needs and you'll get Aubrey in the end." Anna leaned forward and enveloped the young woman into a hug.

When Jude pulled away she smiled lightly and bashfully thanked Anna for her praise. "Well, how about we get you set up in the guest room and tomorrow we can run some errands, I need to go talk to the florist in the morning, I have a meeting with people who have invested in G-Major with Tom, but after that we have to go talk to the bakery for the cake, maybe a little taste testing? How does that sound to you?"

"Oh dear, that would be lovely. Thank you for being so understanding with me just barging in like this, unannounced and all. I hope it's not too much of a burden."

"No, it'll be nice to have you around, you know, give me home field advantage." Jude winked mischievously at Anna before rising from the couch and picking up the bag that Anna had brought with her.

Once Anna was settled in her room and had turned in for the night, Jude made her way to her and Tommy's room expecting to find him there but the room was surprisingly empty. Knowing exactly where he would be, she wandered down the hallway to very end of it and saw a small glow come from the door that was cracked open. Lightly knocking before she opened the door, she heard his voice call her in to his office.

The room was dark except for a desk lamp and the bluish glow from the computer screen that was reflecting off of the lenses of his glasses. He looked up and smiled at her before his eyes moved back to the screen before him. His fingers furiously danced across the keyboard and the clicking along with the soft hum of the computer was the only noise throughout the apartment.

Jude walked around to behind the desk and leaned against his chair her hands moved down to his shoulders, working the knots out from continually being hunched over a soundboard day after day.

"Come to bed?"

He shook his head and clicked the send button on his outgoing email reply. "I really should look over the material for the meeting tomorrow, investors and I….we don't always get along."

"Oh it was one meeting and it was years ago. Come on." She reached for his glasses and took them off his face, setting them down on the desk. "Long day tomorrow, let's get some sleep."

With a resigned sigh, he conceded but put his glasses back on and stacked up the portfolio he had resting on the desk and tucked it under his arm before leaving the office. Jude went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and Tommy lay down in bed, his nightstand lamp on as he tried to get some more work done before she got back. Once she was back she pulled back the sheets on her side and crawled into bed, moving towards Tommy. She nestled her way against his chest and between his arms. She tried to focus on what he was looking over but the numbers and statistics bored her and after a minute, she pulled the file out of his hands and tossed it to the foot of the bed.

"Hey!"

"Tommy, it's going to be fine. We go and talk to them, Liam already gave us all the numbers we need, we smile and look pretty together and then go. It's not the end of the world. Just a quarterly meeting."

"Alright, alright" He reached for the glasses perched on his nose and set them down on his nightstand. "So, I heard laughing earlier?"

"Yeah, you know, it might be nice to have Anna here."

"Really?" Tommy sounded thoroughly surprised that Jude would want his grandmother here.

"I mean, well, it's not ideal, but it'll be good. She really is a great woman. And speaking of her, tomorrow she's going to go to the florist with me in the morning. Then we'll stop by G-Major, you and I can do our little meeting, and then the three of us can head towards the bakery to decide on the cake?"

"These plans are making my head spin already…Why did we decide on a spring wedding?"

"Because you love me." Jude leaned up and lightly kissed his lips.

"That I do…" he murmured, trailing off before capturing her lips again. "Just tell me when and where."

"Of course, so I'll leave before you do tomorrow. I'll try to not wake you up."

"Don't worry about it, maybe tomorrow morning I can finally look over the file like I should be doing."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Whatever, I'm so much more interesting than a silly stock report."

"Uh huh, that silly stock report helps to fund your studio time, which produces records which keeps our water and electricity running."

"Geez Tommy, you make it sound like we live paycheck to paycheck. It'll be fine. You'll be fine, I'll be fine, we'll be fine. Now sleep, I don't want your eyes crossing and glazing over as the baker talks about raspberry filling and marzipan flowers."

Tommy smirked but reached over and pulled the cord to turn off the lamp, the room falling dark. The couple resituated and Jude rested her head on his chest, her body curled next to his as they readied for sleep.

"Night Jude" He kissed the top of her head before laying back, his eyes closing.

"Night Tommy, love you." A yawn interrupted her words. "Love you too…" he mumbled as the pair drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

The siren like alarm woke Jude with a start and she jumped lightly as it sounded through the room. Mumbling a string of profanities she carefully moved herself out of Tommy's arms, trying to not wake him. Heading towards the bathroom her reflection caught her attention in the mirror and she groaned. Messy bed hair stuck in up every direction and she would have to jump into the shower again to tame it.

Within ten minutes she was wrapped in her bathroom and carefully padding around in the bedroom laying out her clothes for the day. She hated the investment meetings that she was forced to go to. Her and pencil skirts didn't exactly get along but these meetings were per Liam's orders and if it involved money, no one crossed Liam.

With all of her clothes on the bed, she went over the dresser and rummaged through looking for nylons and undergarments. Pulling out a matching set she sighed to herself, 'might as well have my own little secret today.'

She slipped on the lingerie and carefully pulled the thigh high nylons, taking extra care not to run them with one of her nails. She slipped the black skirt over her legs and once around her waist she pulled up the zipper in the back, securing it in place. With her dress shirt on and tucked in, she continued to get ready. Her hair was pulled back into a twist and nude makeup adorned her porcelain skin.

As she rooted around in her closet again for her black heels, she heard the bed sheets rustling. When she turned back to look at the bed, she saw a drowsy Tommy smiling at her sleepily with his hair standing in every direction. She loved him in the morning, he was always completely disoriented for the first few minutes.

"Morning sweetheart." She blew him a kiss before turning back around in search of her black stilettos. Another thing she hated about investment meetings. The heels. They killed, but Liam didn't understand that. How could he possibly understand what it's like to have your feet shoved into pointy toed three inch heels?

"Ah ha!" She triumphantly pulled out her heels from the very back corner of the closet floor and reemerged. Carefully balancing on one foot she slid on the first shoe and followed with the second. With a quick glance at the clock, she went over to the bed and quickly kissed Tommy "I'll be at G-Major at eleven, okay?"

He mumbled some sort of response, his eyes still slightly glazed over as Jude left the bedroom, her purse slung over her shoulder. Luckily when she walked into the kitchen Anna was sitting there dressed and ready to go with two cups of coffee next to her.

"Morning dear" She folded the newspaper back up and motioned towards the travel mug for Jude.

"Oh Grand-mère, I love you so much right now. Are you ready to go? Do you want to get anything for breakfast before we leave?"

"Oh no, I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"Great, the florist appointment is in 30 minutes and Claudette doesn't like to be left waiting, she gets very cranky."

Jude ran around the living room as fast as she could in her heels gathering up folders of sample arrangements she had found in magazines, a list of allergies of people on her guest list, and other odds and ends she would need for the day. The clicking of her heels against the flooring echoed off the walls until it suddenly came to a halt and she was clutching all of her necessities for the day. At the front door she studied the key rack and carefully decided which car to take. Slipping a ring off the rack she turned to see Anna waiting patiently clutching her own oversized purse.

"Aright, we're off."

The visit with the florist was relatively uneventful except for Jude getting yelled at for having so many guests with different allergies. She couldn't help it that some of them broke out into hives around certain flowers. The florist, Claudette ranted and raved about how she wasn't a miracle worker, merely an artist and something about needing all the colors in the rainbow in order to create her masterpieces.

But all in all, it was a good initial meeting. Jude and Anna were heading back towards G-Major and the purse in Anna's lap was clutched tightly in her hands as Jude maneuvered the small sports car in and out of lanes to make their eleven o'clock meeting. As Jude raced around the cars a hundred yards ahead of her she noticed all lanes sitting at a standstill. With a slam on her breaks the small car came to a screeching halt and Jude let out a string of profanities as Anna braced herself against the car as it came to its hurdling stop. 

"Are you going to be late dear?"

"If we don't get there within the next fifteen minutes, yes. I'm going to be late. And dead. And late and dead isn't conducive to wedding planning."

"Well since we're in the car, maybe I can continue that little survey…."

Jude groaned and hit her head against the steering wheel as Anna began to rifle through her purse before she happily emerged with a list of what looked to be names and questions.

"So…where to begin…"


	18. Chapter 18

"I thought we agreed to no questions while you 're visiting." Jude's head was repeatedly connecting with the steering wheel before her.

"Oh dear, it's all in good fun. And I must say, none of the other girls held out this long. Now humor and old woman?" She sounded pathetic asking like that, and frankly, Jude didn't have the heart to say no to her.

"And after this no more questions?"

"Well I never said-"

"No more questions." Jude was not going to agree until Anna conceded to this point.

"Fine, no more questions while I'm here."

"No, no, no." Jude laughed bitterly, "No more questions period. End of story."

"None at all?" Anna stuck out her bottom lip like a sad five year old who wasn't getting her way at the moment.

"Zero. Deal?" With a huffy sigh, Anna sadly agreed.

"Good. Thank you. Now it's only fair that for every question you ask me, I get to ask you one. If Jude had to divulge her bedroom behaviors to her fiancés grandmother, she could certainly cough up a few family secrets. "And since you're prepared and all, you may go first."

Anna unfolded the piece of ornate stationary and scanned the list for one of the more harmless questions that she had on it. Her eyes stopped for a moment before nodding slightly to herself.

"What form of birth control are you using?"

"Condoms, my doctor advised against oral contraceptives because of a family history of cancer."

"Good Answer." Anna nodded thoughtfully before Jude replied again.

"I thought so. That's why I was so upset with Aubrey's assumption. But it was stupid really. We're careful. Neither of our careers can handle a baby right now. But anyway, Does Marigold really believe she's dating Hayden Christensen?"

"Absolutely no doubt in her mind, yes."

"Wow…" Jude drummed her fingers against the steering wheel and made a mental note to research the genetic patterns of insanity.

"Alright, one and one…have you ever been tested?"

Jude's head whipped around to state at Anna as if she had spouted two extra heads. Her mouth was gaping open at the older woman as she stared on in shock.

"Dear, it's a perfectly fair question."

"Well you should be asking Tommy that one, not me! He was my first but God only knows how many groupies he bagged during Boyz Attack!" With a huff and pursed lips Jude turned back to focus on the road ignoring the woman next to her.

"No need to get defensive, I just wanted to make sure nothing is being spread. That's all dear." Anna was busy rooting around in her purse until she pulled out a pen. Jude's eyes wandered down to the stationary where Anna's immaculate script marked next to the question she had just asked, 'Ask Thomas about this and "groupies."

Jude couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter and Anna's lips curled up into a hidden smile. Jude contemplated her next move. She bit her lip as she decided if she should go ahead and move onto the big guns or keep playing Anna's little game. But Anna wasn't playing around. She wanted the cold hard facts and for that, Jude shouldn't bother with frivolous questions, wasting precious opportunities.

"Okay, remember, every question gets answered. Why didn't Tommy tell me about his dad dying?"

"Oh…" Anna's entire demeanor changed with Jude's question.

"Anna, an answer please. He won't tell me, Henry wouldn't tell me. Why is this such a mystery?"

Anna wrung her hands together nervously. She knew Jude was a smart girl and she would be asking questions. Unfortunately she had hoped that Tommy would quell and pacify her curious mind. "You deserve an answer. I can't deny that, but I wish that Thomas had told you this and it wouldn't have to be me. Or anyone else for that matter." The woman paused thoughtfully as she collected herself. Conversation about Thomas Sr. was always limited and usually ignored all together. No one referenced him or anything that could possibly relate back to him. Finally looking back up at Jude, she took a breath before carefully wording her reply.

"You're marrying him, yet you know hardly anything about his past."

"I love him that much. He drives me crazy, he's secretive, cryptic, and sometimes I just want to kill him. But I love him and I can't help it." Jude gazed at the engagement ring that adorned her left hand, the diamond radiated, sparkling under the light that filtered in through the windshield.

"When Thomas left Toronto, he really had no intentions of going back. In his mind, he was done with G-major, and his life there." Even though he had gone back to Jude, she couldn't help but flinch at how caustic Anna's words sounded. "Before his father died, he asked Thomas to take care of his mother. And shortly after he passed, the singing opportunity arose. He saw it as a way to pursue his dreams and financially support his family.

"Unfortunately, at the time, we didn't see it that way. He was so excited about his music and we're more traditional. Even I thought he was just doing it to run away. He got to travel around the world while his family was mourning the loss of one of their own. It appeared like he had moved on and was never coming back. And though the checks were sent every month, he never came back. Not permanently at least. Occasional holidays, birthdays, but Aubrey never forgot it. And then during the time he was busy working on your second album, the anniversary of his father's death passed. That was the first year he didn't remember on the day it happened.

"When he realized what happened….he wanted to drop it all.," Anna's voice cracked, reliving the painful memory of the loss of her son. "He was so afraid dear, so afraid that he found something to make him forget. He didn't run away from us. He was trying to make the best of the situation and none of us believed him. Some still don't. So he was going to quit it all. To prove it to us, more than anything else. Prove that he didn't forget- wouldn't forget. So he told us he was coming back. And for awhile, it was okay. It was good. But dear, you have to know, while he was with us, there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't mention you to myself or Henry.

"He was so scared that you made him forget, you gave him a reason to move on but he wouldn't allow himself too. He didn't think it was right. But he was breaking apart being without you. Henry forced him to go back." Anna's eyes were lined with tears and her confession had Jude with stray tears sliding down her cheeks. Tom always had this cool and austere look about him. He never let anyone get too close and he always had to be the one to make the first move or else he would shut down on the other person. Jude just wished that after all this time, with this ring on her hand that he would be able to talk to her. Be completely honest. The engagement party was coming up and she didn't need to be left out of the loop anymore.

A horn blared behind her and caused her to jump in the seat. She glanced up at the road ahead of her to find it clearing and the impatient driver behind her was laying on their horn to get her to move. The rest of the car ride is silent as they head towards G-Major. Jude pulls into the parking lot and finds an open space next to the car Tommy drove into work today. Turning off the car and pulling the key from the ignition Jude looks over to Anna who's fiddling with a compact to fix her runny makeup.

"Grand-mère?" Her voice was apprehensive and unsure..

"Yes dear?"

"Can we…finish this later?"

A weak smile crossed Anna's face and her old frail hand captured Jude's. "Of course dear, if you want to." Wordlessly, she nodded and her smile reflected Anna's.

"Right, well," Jude flipped down the visor and peered in the mirror, smoothing out her hair and make up. Once satisfied she gathered up her purse and escorted Anna into G-Major. She spotted Tommy and Kwest talking in Hospitality. As they approached, Tommy pulled her into a hug, kissing her quickly and then introduced Kwest to Anna. With a glance at his watch, it was time to go to their meeting.

"Kwest, do you think you could show my grandmother around? Jude and I have the meeting and then we're all going to the bakery afterwards…"

"No problem. Mrs. Quincy, let met show you what Tom and I do all day." The pair walked off, and Anna was already chattering away, asking questions and such.

Jude and Tommy walked hand in hand towards the conference room but before entering, she stopped and held Tommy back, he looked at her curiously his brow furrowing. "Jude, meeting. We don't want to be late."

"No, I know, but Tommy, we have to talk sometime today."

"We always talk, what's wrong girl?"

"We need to talk…about your dad." His eyes darkened and narrowed on her.

"Tommy, don't be mad. I just want to talk."

"Whatever, we have a meeting to go to." Before she could answer he swung open the door and smiles were plastered on their faces. No one cared about Tommy and Jude soon to be wed couple. They all wanted Tommy and Jude, producer and Instant Star extraordinaire.


	19. Chapter 19

"With the sales of Jude's most recent album, you can see that they have far surpassed her previous sales, in addition to that, shareholder earnings increased by 20 and we hope to continue to see a rise for everyone with the release of Jude's next album. She is the premiere asset to this company and we hope to continue to use her sales to further boost."

Jude's tight smile hadn't left her face for the entire presentation. If she hadn't been so put off by Tommy's behavior, she would have been incredibly proud of him. He looked so professional and in control standing before the board room table. And just like a skilled celebrity, he showed no inkling of anything that could possibly be bothering him. That was the problem. He and Jude were so good at guarding themselves and he never knew how to turn that off.

"If there are no further questions?" He paused, waiting for someone to interrupt him. Which was what usually happened. And then the meeting would draw on for another twenty minutes. But the room was silent.

"Well then," Jude spoke up, her award winning smile plastered on her face, "That concludes our meeting. We'll see you all again in another four months. Travel safely." Portfolios were being flipped closed and Jude and Tommy were stationed at the door, biding everyone goodbye and safe travels. Each time Jude would try and catch Tom's eye, he would divert his attention to whoever was leaving the room at the moment.

As the last man in suit left the room, Tom quickly turned on his heel and headed towards the head of the table centered in the room. He gathered up his own folder of trend information and with the folder tucked under his arm he brushed past Jude who stood there helplessly and desperately wanting to talk to him.

"I'll meet you at the bakery." Was all she got as he left the board room. With the door closed behind him Jude let out a frustrated screech and kicked the nearest object which happened to be a wall.

"Damn it!" So, kicking a wall in stilettos wasn't the brightest idea she had ever had. She kicked off her shoes and cradled her injured foot for a moment, trying to rub away the pain before she had to go out and face everyone being the smiling, happy and perfect bride to be and rock star that everyone expected.

Picking up her shoes she took a few deep breaths before exiting the room. Walking across the slick floor, she hobbled towards Kwest and Anna in her nylons taking great pains to not slip and make an even bigger fool of herself.

"Ready to go Anna?"

"Of course dear, Thomas already left but he is going to the bakery, right?"

"Who knows." Jude rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

"Is everything alright?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. I try and get him to open up and he'd rather shut me out. Again. Like always. Sometimes I don't even know why the hell I said yes when he proposed." Kwest looked around nervously as Jude continued to rant about how she couldn't stand him and all the terrible things he did, all of his flaws and problems. He slowly started to slink away from the two women not wanting to hear anymore that could possibly incriminate him and then he would be forced to divulge to his best friend. He would rather be left out of the mess all together.

"Oh dear, you don't mean that."

"Right now, I do. Tom Quincy infuriates me!" So, that may not have been the best thing to yell in the middle of the G Major lobby. Everyone froze and the silence that consumed the usually buzzing atmosphere was deafening. Even the phone had enough sense to not ring at the moment.

Realizing her mistake Jude took a deep breath and wet her lips before lowering her voice, "Anna, we really should get going. I don't want to keep the baker waiting."

With her purse in her grasp, Anna nodded and rose. She turned to thank Kwest for entertaining her but he was no where to be seen. Slowly the office came back to life and it was humming with life again, the phones were ringing, but sidelong glances were still noticed as Jude exited the building with her guest.

The ride to the bakery was sans complications and silent the entire way there. Jude continued to stew over her fiancés behavior and Anna looked aimlessly out the window. She knew well enough now was no time to interrupt. Jude was a lot like her when she was younger, fiery and independent. It was no wonder why her grandson was so attracted to her and loved her.

Pulling into the parking lot, Jude spotted an empty spot next to Tommy's car. Resisting the urge to ruin them both, she didn't rear end his parked baby. With the door open, she put her shoes on the asphalt and slipped into them before exiting the viper.

Anna trailed behind her, still quiet as she and Jude entered the bakery. It smelled heavenly with the aroma of fresh cakes and the lingering scent of sugar in the air.

"Mizz Ari-zon!"

Jude smiled kindly at him before kissing each cheek as she was pulled into a friendly embrace. "Édouard, what do you have for me today?"

"Ze best cakes zees side of ze hemisphere!"

"Good, fantastic. I take it you've met my incredibly surly fiancé, Tom?"

"Oui."

"Great. The sooner we start, the sooner we can decide." Jude slid into a chair next to her fiancé and set her purse down on the table in front of her. Neither of them said a word to each other as they waited for Édouard to return with the samples. Anna looked back and forth between the two of them and had to fight to stifle her laughter. Neither had any intention of giving in.

Édouard finally returned with a tray of thinly sliced cake, three slices of several varieties lined up on platters ready for tasting. A platter was set in front of each of the three adults sitting and Édouard started to talk explaining the first cake they tasted.

"Zees iz a black forrezt cake wiv a raspberry filling." Jude tasted it thoughtfully and contemplated if all of her guests would be satisfied with it. She knew the answer to that question was no, not everyone liked chocolate cake, but how to tell Édouard that…

"It's very good dear," Anna sipped water from the glass in front of her. "But people are so funny and picky about cake and I don't know if chocolate is the best decision…what do you think, dear?" Turning to Jude she raised and eyebrow and Jude nodded in agreement.

"Édouard, it is delicious, but I'd have to agree with Anna, I don't know if everyone would be able to enjoy it."

The baker shrugged indifferently and proceeded to present the next cake to the trio. "Zees iz a white cake wiv frez fruit und crème." It was good, but nothing outstanding, the three of them agreed.

The next cake had been another white cake with a mousse filling and was delicious in Jude's opinion. Even Tommy had agreed, some of the first words he had spoken since being there. The mousse was light with a honey flavor and was slightly nutty.

There were two more cakes left to sample and all had been going well so far until Anna noticed Tom's face flushing and him loosening his tie. She gave him an odd look but he just shrugged it off.

Édouard continued to ramble on about styles, fillings and batters. While he was raving about the fourth cake Tom was busy gulping down his water and pulling at his collar. His face was red and blotchy and his breathing became wheezy.

"Monsieur?" Édouard looked at Tom funny but he just waved his hand as if everything was okay. A bout of coughs shook his frame and he was doubled over between his legs trying to get his breathing under control.

"Hun….Tommy, are you okay." Concern filled Jude's voice as she left her chair and knelt down by Tommy who was shaking his head but the coughing had subsided. Between gulps of air, he managed to spit out a question, "What…was it..the last cake?"

Jude looked up at Édouard, "Édouard, what was in the last cake? The mousse?"

"Ze cake vas white cake with almond and ze mousse vas a honey." He smiled proudly at his own masterpiece. And Tommy was spastically nodding his head.

"Anna, what's wrong with him?" Jude looked panic stricken as her finance continued to gasp for air.

"He's allergic dear. Thomas, do you have your epi-pen?"

"Car." Jude grabbed his keys and sprinted to the parking lot, rummaging through the car, the center console, pockets, and eventually she found it in the glove compartment. Hurriedly she brought it back to him and watched as he fumbled with the shot, injecting himself in the leg. Within the minute his breathing had calmed and the redness was leaving his face.

"Sorry about that…I should have asked what was in the cake. I need to get to the emergency room to get checked out, I'm really sorry." Tommy stood up and started to head to the door. Jude looked at Édouard apologetically.

"I'm really sorry Édouard, can we reschedule?"

"Ouf course Mizz Ari-son."

"Thank you so much, Anna, here are the keys, get yourself home okay? I'm gonna go with Tom to the emergency room. We'll be back later." Jude scampered out of the bakery and caught up to Tommy as he walked to the car.

"Tommy…Tommy!" He turned to see her moving as fast as she could in her heels and pencil skirt. "Wait up, I'm gonna go with you."

"What about Grand-mère?" Tommy looked confused, both cars only sat two people and Jude was going with him…

"She's going home. I gave her the keys…Tom Quincy, don't give me that look. Let's just go get you checked out, alright?"


	20. Chapter 20

"Next time, be more careful, Tom. Especially since its all nuts you're allergic to."

"I know, I was stupid…a bit…distracted you could say."

"Fair enough, at least you're alright now. We'll bring you the paperwork and get you released, alright?"

"Thanks Doc." The emergency room practitioner and Tommy and Jude were left alone, she sat perched on the drab hospital chair and Tommy was back, dressed in his rumpled clothes sitting up on the edge of the bed, his legs swinging back and forth like a small child would. "So uh…I guess that cake's out of the question?"

"I might want to keep you around long enough for a wedding night." Jude studied her nails, not wanting to look up at him in fear that she might flip out again.

"Oh, you can't get rid of me that easily. The cake was good though."

"Until you started to turn fuchsia, yeah, great."

"Jude, come on. So you didn't know I was allergic to nuts. No big deal. Now you know."

"I'm not doing this here. I'd rather save it for behind closed doors."

"Oh yeah?" Tom raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Not like that Quincy. Not even close." She shot him a look and his expression melted off of his face within a second. His saving grace was the nurse that opened the door with a clipboard stacked with papers and a pen clasped against her chest. The nurse's eyes darted back and forth between the tense couple and tentatively took a few steps inside the room, "Mr. Quincy?"

"Yep. That's me."

"Great. I uh, just need you to sign a few papers and then you'll be all ready to go. I also have a prescription for you to get a new epi-pen." She handed over the clipboard and stood next to the bed, pointing to lines for him to sign on. After flipping through the stack of pages she smiled and left with the clipboard, Tommy and Jude free to go.

Jude continued to sit there wordlessly as Tommy slipped on his shoes, taking his time lacing them up. The last thing he wanted was another fight with Jude, but at the same time, he knew that the only way to avoid a fight would be to tell her everything and anything she wanted to know about his family and his past. And at the moment, he wasn't ready for that. He couldn't admit that she had been the one to change everything for him. Sure it was true, but for the words to actually pass his lips and evaporate into the air, was a completely different thing.

And if he just kept quiet about his family and kept everything to himself, then he could pretend like it wasn't real. His mother disowning him wasn't real, his crazy family wasn't real, and the death of his father wasn't real. Him forgetting wouldn't be real. Without talking about what happened, it was such an easy escape. Denial was always easier than admitting the truth. Jude of all people should know that. Their relationship had been denial in rare form.

Kisses, looks, touches, glances….all of it had been denied for so long. But it finally came to a boil and spilled over. He would have to tell her. But not right now. He couldn't do it now.

"Tommy?" Her voice brought him back to reality and he realized that he still held the laces in his hand, but he was frozen and unmoving.

"Wha- oh, sorry." He quickly finished knotting the laces and hopped off the bed. "We should get back, make sure Grand-mère made it back alright."

"Right…" Standing up, she smoothed out her skirt before picking up her purse and heading towards the door, leaving Tommy behind. He cocked his head to the side, unsure of what to make of her and how he could possibly diffuse the situation without exposing himself.

He was lost and there was nothing he could do.

The click of her heels echoed down the empty hall and Tommy trailed behind like a wounded puppy. The angel and devil on his shoulder battled back and forth from 'tell her…' to 'protect yourself' the constant war the two sides of his brain were waging was enough to make him want to scream out for them to stop. Instead, he shook his head vigorously and shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

As the electric doors slid open, Jude paused and looked over her shoulder at Tom. Her face was blank and her eyes were a murky blue, disguising any emotion that she could possibly be feeling at the moment. Tommy picked up his stride and was soon by her side, the two exiting into the bright daylight and warmth of the Toronto afternoon.

Their entire venture home was silent. Jude stared out the window with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth and her hands wringing themselves anxiously in her lap. The soft hum of the radio was the only thing filling the awkward silence between them as Tommy navigated the freeway towards the couple's apartment.

Pulling into the parking garage, Tommy whipped the little car into a spot and killed the engine. As soon as the car stopped purring, Jude opened the door and jumped out of the car, stalking off towards the building. Pulling his gaze away from her retreating form he closed his eyes tightly and leaned his head against the headrest of the car. The palm of his hand slammed against the steering wheel as he let out a cry of frustration. Yet again, Tom Quincy had managed to screw up like he did every single time.

Walking into his apartment, he saw his grandmother sitting at the table, a steaming cup next to her, and an open book. Tommy started to walk towards her to give her a hug hello, but stopped short when Anna spoke up, not bothering to turn around and look at him.

"She's in you room."

"Uh…."

"I suggest you go and talk to her, Thomas."

He pressed his lips together and nodded his head slowly before detouring to the hallway that lead to his and Jude's room. The door was partially open, not closed all the way as Jude had probably hastily run in there, avoiding Anna's prying questions. That was Tommy's assumption anyways. Slowly opening the door, Jude was standing in front of their dresser, dressed as she was earlier, sans shirt. She was taking off her jewelry and placing it inside the rose wood jewelry box. Once she was free of all her adornments aside from her engagement ring, she pulled out the pins holding her hair up and the blonde locks cascaded down her back, the springy curls ended just above the strap of her bra.

Leaving the dresser, she walked over to the closet, carefully taking off her heels, she put them neatly on the floor of the closet. Tommy watched her every move wordlessly and it began to unnerve her.

"Can I help you?"

Tentatively, he closed the distance between them and sat on the edge of the bed as he continued to watch his fiancé.

"You're acting like a creepy voyeur. Stop that." Jude kept moving to shake Tommy's stare but was failing miserably. She wasn't going to get into this now. Not with Anna in the apartment. At the dresser again, she pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a tank top from the drawer. She tossed them down onto the bed next to Tommy and reached around herself to unhook and unzip her skirt. His eyes never left her as she continued to undress and change.

"Honestly Tommy, you're freaking me out. Stop it."

"Can we talk?"

"About what? You want to talk now?"

"Jude, come on. Please don't be like this."

"Like this? Be like THIS?"

"Jude…please, I don't want my grandmother to hear this." His eyes were begging her, but by now, all she wanted to do was scream and hit him. He deserved it. No fiancé should have all these secrets hidden from them but he continued to do it time and time again.

"Whatever, you don't want to talk about this. Fine. We'll just get married. And then you can have your secrets and I'll just sit idly by, pretending like I know my husband as well as he knows me. If that's what you want, fine Tommy. Fine."

"Jude, nuts. I'm allergic to nuts. That's all."

"DON'T YOU GET IT!" Tom flinched at the shrill tremolo of her voice and she stared at him, wide eyed in amazement and disgust. A horrified smile curled on her lips and she couldn't help but shake her head.

"I was asked to pick five cakes to sample. I picked the cake with something you are APPARENTLY deathly allergic to. That is a problem Tommy. The fact that we don't communicate is a problem. Don't pretend like it's a non-issue. Don't hurt me even more like that."

"Jude, it's just a food allergy. That's the only one." Tommy's voice was pleading with her as he tried to placate her and get her voice to lower in volume.

"No, Tommy. It's more than just a food allergy. Why don't you tell me anything about yourself? When's my sister's birthday?"

"August second."

"Exactly!" Her hands flew up in frustration as she continued to stomp around the bedroom throwing her clothes in the hamper.

"So I know Sadie's birthday. What does that have to do with us?"

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE AN ONLY CHILD!" She was good at making him flinch.

"Okay Jude, what do you want to know?" He looked up from the floor and into her eyes. He didn't want to fight with her, that was the last thing he ever wanted to do and especially at this moment. Their engagement party was coming up, family would be everywhere, Aubrey was going to be looking to cause trouble and they needed to be on solid ground with one another.

"You're not going to tell me anyways. What does it matter?" He caught her gaze and her wet, red rimmed eyes. Making her cry broke his heart and it was always the last thing he wanted to do, however it seemed to be what he was best at. Hurting her.

"Come on Jude, don't do this." His voice was soft now, begging her to cooperate. Neither of them moved, afraid they would be the one to make the situation explode.

Finally, her hoarse voice broke the tense silence with nothing more than a whisper. "Tell me." The back of her hand harshly wiped away the tears before the fell down her cheeks, "Tell me why you left, tell me about your dad, tell me why your mother hates me, tell me Tommy. Talk to me. Please." It was a wonder she was able to get all of that out, her voice breaking and breathing erratic. Her eyes never left him and when she saw his expression change, she was done.


	21. Chapter 21

Wordlessly, she walked to the closet and pulled out a duffle bag, throwing it on the bed next to him. She began ripping clothes off hangers and throwing them towards the bed, not caring where they fell at the moment. Jeans, shirts, everything was flying. Hastily she started to shove them into the bag, forgoing folding them.

"Jude…please."

Ignoring him, she stalked to her dresser and pulled out undergarments by the handful and going back to her bag, dumping them on top of the clothing thrown in. Her attempts to stop the tears flowing down her cheeks were fruitless and they dripped down her cheeks leaving hot wet streaks as she zipped up her bag.

"I'm leaving." She sniffled, "Once you figure out what you want from me, as a wife, call me. But don't bother until then. Tell D that I'm on vacation."

"Jude you can't do this, please don't do this." He reached out for her wrist and jerked her back to him, her duffle back falling out of her grip.

"Let go of me Tom." She whispered, looking up at him through her wet lashes.

"Don't leave Jude. Please." His face softened but still held onto the secrets he clung to so desperately.

"I can't do this over and over again, please, let go of me." Acting on impulse, he resorted to a tactic he knew would work.

He kissed her.

The sight of her broken and hurting, the tears on her face, it was the only thing Tom could think to do. He dropped her wrist and pulled her close to him, his arm holding her securely at her waist. The heat that radiated off of her pink damp skin burned him and the salty kiss they shared was intoxicating. He felt her melt against him, her resolve diminishing as she took the initiative to deepen their shared moment.

They each searched for parts of one another that they had never found or explored before and only once dizziness had set in, did they pull away. She could feel his heart pounding through his chest as he held her close, her body swaying as she saw stars before her eyes.

Reaching to remove herself from his hold, she looked up at him one last time, his eyes held a torrent of emotion and his panted breath hit her face gently as she gathered the courage to do what she had to do.

"I have to go." Leaning down, she picked up the all but forgotten duffle back and jogged out of the room, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision.

Jude flew past Anna who was still at the table pretending like she heard none of what had just transpired. The door opened and slammed shut behind Jude but Anna continued to sit, poised like usual with her mug and book.

Several minutes passed and life still had not surfaced from Tom's bedroom. Anna had the patience of a saint though. A twenty one hour labor will do that to a person. She would wait as long as it would take. The minutes slipped away and turned into an hour, and finally, fifteen minutes after that Tommy finally emerged from his room.

Afraid to sit down at first, he skirted his way around the table to the kitchen where he retrieved a bottle that was nestled in the freezer and a glass tumbler from the cupboard. Pouring the clear liquid into the glass, Anna peered over the rims of her reading glasses to silently observe him. She had known her grandson for as long as he had been breathing and she knew he wasn't okay with what had happened.

The bottle was put back into the freezer and he carefully moved towards the table, taking a seat across from his grandmother.

"Tout comme ton père."Anna stayed masked by her book.

"Excuse me?" Tom set his glass down, looking up from the swirling poison.

"You heard me. Tout comme ton père"

His face hardened and they stared each other down, Anna's book now disregarded as she dog eared a page and set it down.

"Pourquoi faire face à ses problèmes, quand on peut se mettre à picoler ?"

"Ne fais pas ça, Grand-mère."

"Why not? She loves you Thomas. She's dying inside because you can't open up to her. Tell her. Tear down those walls and let her in. Because if I was her- and she's a lot like me, I wouldn't stay. But instead, you screw up and let her run so you can get drunk tonight."

"I went back to Jude."

"C'est pourtant ce qu'a fait ton père. Mais nul n'est immortel."

* * *

"Jude, Honey, it'll be okay. Calm down sweetheart." Mason sat next to her on the couch, rubbing her back soothingly trying to calm her down. It was an attempt in vain though, she had showed up an hour ago in tears, her mascara running down her puffy and swollen face. She dropped her duffle bag and flung herself in to Chaz's arms when he opened the door to their unannounced visitor. 

Unsure of what to do, he called Mason over and let her latch on to him, Chaz running off and making himself scarce for the next hour.

"It's not going to be okay!" She wailed into the shoulder of Mason's now tear soaked shirt.

"Honey, can you tell me what happened?" Mason looked around the living space for any signs of Chaz…still missing. That bastard.

"Won't talk…and kissed me, then I left. He doesn't love me anymore." Jude pulled herself away from his shoulders for a second and then grabbed the sleeve of his t-shirt, blowing her nose loudly into it.

Mason's face scrunched up in distaste with his best friends snot all over the sleeve of his t-shirt. "Oh sure hun….feel free to use my shirt."

"Mase, you're such a good friend to me. You listen to me, you talk to me. Why did you have to be gay?" The tears sprung forth from her eyes again and she flung herself back on Mason's frame, nearly knocking him back onto the couch.

"Uhh..I'm sorry? But Jude, hun, you love Tommy. You guys are perfect for each other. I'm sure this whole thing will just blow over in a day and you'll be back to your usual selves who can hardly keep your hands off of each other."

Some sort of muffled response came from Jude, who was still busy wailing out incoherent fragments of speech when Chaz finally reappeared with a mug of something hot and steaming.

"Jude, why don't you drink this. It'll help calm you down, promise. When has chamomile not helped, right?" Mason pried her arms away from his neck and urged her to drink the tea so he could have a break, possibly go change her shirt. Nodding weakly, she took the mug from Chaz who was sitting beside her now and Mason got up, saying that he'd be back in a minute.

Walking off to his bedroom, he peeled off his wet shirt and tossed it on his and Chaz's messy and unmade bed. Heading to his closet, he pulled another shirt off of a hanger and slipped it on. He then headed to the dresser in the room and picked up his cell phone, flipping it open and quickly scrolling through the list of contacts. Reaching the one he was looking for, he pressed send and brought the phone up to his ear.

"You've reached Tom's phone…"

"Ugh. Of course, of all the times you ever had it off…" Mason rolled his eyes and flipped the phone closed, replacing it back on the dresser. Heading back towards the living room, it was strangely quiet and his pace quicken, concerned that something else had happened.

Chaz was cradling Jude's limp body against his own, carrying her away from the couch.

"Oh God, what happened? Is she okay?" Panic crept into the younger man's voice but his partner just laughed at him.

"Promise not to get upset?"

"I promise nothing, is she okay?"

"Fine, don't worry. The tea that I brought her might have one of those sleep aid gel caps poured into it." Chaz smiled sheepishly, readjusting Jude in his arms.

"You slipped my best friend a roofie!" Mason whispered fiercely.

"She's calmed down though, right? Let me go set her down in the guest room. I'll be right back."

"A freaking roofie. Thank God we're gay. I don't feel like having accusations flung at me." Mason rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's retreating figure.

**A/N Time: I'm guessing you all want translations, eh? They are as follows:**

"Tout comme ton père."  
"Just like your father."

"Pourquoi faire face à ses problèmes, quand on peut se mettre à picoler ?"  
"Why face your problems when you can hit the bottle?"

"Ne fais pas ça, Grand-mère."  
"Don't do this grandmother."

"C'est pourtant ce qu'a fait ton père. Mais nul n'est immortel."  
"And so did your father. But no one's immortal."**  
**

**  
**


	22. Chapter 22

Jude's eyes fluttered open and she made a few failed attempts at rubbing the grogginess from her eyes. She carefully propped herself up against the plush pillows, a confused look on her face as she gazed around the unfamiliar settings.

A light knock at the door was accompanied by the door knob turning and a young man's head carefully poking into the dim room. When he saw her awake a smiled crossed his face and he stepped inside. He approached the bed and sat on the vacant side, his legs swung over onto the mattress as he got comfortable and reclined against the plethora of pillows before turning to the girl./

"How ya feeling, hun?"

"Like I was run over by a train. Thanks for asking." She looked over at her friend, he looked genuinely concerned for her and she smiled at him reassuringly. "You know," she reached up and ruffled his light brown hair, "I kind of like you without the hat."

He feigned a look of hurt before he smiled at her lightly and reached out patting her hand reassuringly.

"Mase, what happened?"

"You came to the door hysterical and-"

"No. I know that I came here after my fight with…" Her voice trailed off before she shook her head to banish her thoughts, "And I was sitting on the couch, you left, Chaz brought me tea…and the last thing I really remember was drinking it. It's all fuzzy or black after that. Until I woke up. And felt like I was hit by a train."

"Right…about that." Mason's hand left Jude's and the wrung themselves nervously. "Don't be mad?" His big brown eyes begged her before he continued. "Chaz came in with tea, and I didn't realize what happened until you were already out cold when I came back. He might have accidentally….or not so accidentally slipped something into your tea so you could, ah, calm down?"

Jude's brow scrunched up, as if she were trying to remember any clues to before she passed out but the harder she tried to recall any details, the more evasive they seemed at the moment. Finally giving up on trying to remember, she pushed the covers off her body and began to stand p, she searched the room for her belongings and tried to main steady balance, still a bit woozy from the sleep tablet Chaz had poured into her tea.

"Jude, hun, don't worry about it. Stay as long as you need." A grateful smile crossed her face ut she shook her head in rejection.

"No, I'll just go to Sade's or something. I can't intrude on you and Chaz."

"Stay for dinner at least? Please? Chaz felt bad for drugging you like that, so ah….he decided a feast of a dinner was in order."

At the mention of food, Jude noticed the delicious smell of Italian food wafting through the door. Her stomach gurgled in response. The only food she had eaten during the day had been a few samples of cake and some coffee. Unable to say no, she smiled sheepishly as her stomach rumbled again and nodded enthusiastically while running her fingers through her tousled hair.

She followed the younger man out into the modest living and dining room to a table in the process of being set by Chaz. He stopped when he saw his partner and Jude, a wide smile on his face as he left the table to envelope Jude in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry about earlier, I just…you were only getting worse and I couldn't think of anything else." He held her out at arms length, "Forgive me?"

She smiled genuinely at him before answering, "Of course, I was a mess. But hey, that prick has his own decisions to make now. It's not my problem anymore." She shrugged her shoulders coldly.

Chaz frowned noticeably, "Jude, he's not a bad guy…"

"I don't want to talk about it." She pulled away from Chaz and found a seat for herself around their small round table.

Chaz nodded knowingly before busying himself in the kitchen again. He returned with a bowl of pasta in white sauce topped with sliced grilled chicken. Mason trotted out with a salad, garlic bread, and three wine glasses tucked under his arm. Setting everything down the three took a seat, and chatted over dinner. Tommy not mentioned again.

* * *

He stood there, fidgeting in his tux in front of his family and friends, a huge smile plastered on his face. He had never felt so excited and nervous before in his life. Not even his first stadium performance. His entire family was there, smiling in support, his mother was the very first one in the front row, a prim hat sat atop her head tilted at a nearly precarious angle.

The bride's side of the church was all chattering away. They were all a flurry of conversation, hidden behind programs in remembrance of this shared moment for them. When they would finally be husband and wife.

He turned back to see his band mates all in similar tuxes in a row behind him. Kwest clasped a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him reassuringly. The string quartet faded out quietly before starting up again, a unique piece floated through the hall, echoing off the stained glass windows. She wanted something different, and had finally settled on 'Down A Country Lane' by Copland. The doors opened and revealed a shy looking Jude, her face slightly obscured by the thin layer of gossamer. Stuart escorted his daughter down the aisle, beaming from the fact that his little girl was finally getting married.

Suddenly the music was cut short, and Tommy's smile melted off his face, he looked towards the corner where the quartet had been situated and saw only a blank space. Jude stopped walking towards the alter. Stuart however, still smiling from ear to ear took the bouquet from Jude, handing it off to some random attendee behind him, lifted Jude's veil, kissing her lightly on the cheek before she turned and looked at Tommy.

Her face no longer held the innocence but her eyes narrowed, studying him before she shook her head sadly.

"You should have just told me."

He looked at her confused and opened his mouth to convince her to keep walking down the aisle but when he tried to talk, no sound came out. Jude turned around sadly, picking up the front of her dress and hastily walked out of the sanctuary. He started running down the aisle in hopes to catch up but right before he got to her, the doors slammed shut and refused to open. Tommy desperately shook at the handle, throwing his body against the door to get it to open.

He felt a hand clasp on his shoulder, pulling him away from the double doors.

"No…No." His voice was hoarse ringing in his head but the words still refused to come out.

"Tom…man, T, wake up." The hand was still jarring him, and Tommy shot up from his seat, his head snapped around curiously until he realized where he was.

"Ughh…damn. I fell asleep."

"Man, T, what time did you come in? Why aren't you at home?" Kwest set down his mug of coffee.

"Ahh…Two? Three maybe?"

"Fight with the missus?" He smirked taking a seat across from the ragged man before him.

"Right…something like that. She left. Just…walked out. Something about me not being open enough."

"What do you mean left?"

"Left our apartment. As in, tears, I was a jackass, kissed her, and she left."

"Man…you always were a first class screw up."

Tommy shot him a look but Kwest just shrugged, "You know it too, don't even give me that. How are you going to fix it this time? Because I have a pretty little engagement party invite for Sadie and I and I do believe that's sometime in the near future."

"Oh God, my mother is going to have a field day. I can't deal with this, with finishing up Jude's album, exec's breathing down my neck, Mere, and Jude-"

"T! My Office, now." Darius could be heard yelling from whatever corner of the building he was in.

"…And now Darius." Tommy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pushed himself away from the mixing board where he had spent the last few hours. He didn't want to have to explain the missing artist to his boss, but it would come up inevitably.

She made him crazy. Jude Harrison made him crazy. He had always been so cool and unattached with other women, and now he was having dreams of her abandoning their chance at vows for a lifetime commitment.

"T, good luck, man. You're gonna need it."

And he was right, he was going to need it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Alright! So the story is now back on track! We have all the chapters in the right place and now we have a new chapter to post! Thanks to umagoshh for pointing out out, and well, yes. So here we go, chapter 23!**

* * *

"I got a phone call from a mutual acquaintance of ours this morning when I got in." Darius's nostrils flared with each word and his temper seemed to shorten as soon as Tommy has walked through the door. 

"Really." Tom shrugged nonchalantly, hoping the conversation wouldn't involve Jude. He rocked back on his heels, his hands dug deeply into his pockets. Before he realized what he was doing, Darius caught his tell and slammed his fist down onto the large mahogany desk. The lamp and other accessories rattled and Tommy abruptly stopped all movement.

"Don't screw with me, Quincy. Mason called in for Jude. For the next week. Now why, Tom? Why would she be inclined to do something like that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, D." He shrugged his shoulders, still pretending to be unaffected by this entire conversation.

"Don't screw with me, Quincy. I mean it. And it's not my problem."

"What's not your problem." Tommy looked up from the carpet, the agitation in his voice now evident.

"That all of your marriage attempts seem to fail before they even get the chance to really start."

Tommy folded his arms across his chest wordlessly. His face was set like stone and he refused to budge.

"Get the hell out of my office Tom, and find your fiancé. Kiss and make up and pray that she takes your sorry ass back."

Darius sat down at his desk behind his computer and started to busy himself with tasks and emails but Tom refused to move. He stood there, annoyed, irked, and above all, frustrated with his crumbling relationship.

"Out Tom. I mean it." Darius's voice was low and menacing this time, as he didn't even bother to look up from his computer screen. Tommy gave a roll of his eyes before turning around to leave the office. "Two days, you have two days to bring her back."

Wordlessly he slammed the heavy oak door behind him, shaking the surrounding walls and the entire staff in the main lobby froze in what they were doing and their heads all turned sharply towards the slamming door and brooding man who stormed out of the studio.

Storming out of the studio and into the parking lot, he dug for his keys and cell phone. He flipped it open as he stalked off to his car and noticed the screen was blank as he looked at it. "Damn thing." He mumbled to himself as he reached his car. He opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, bringing the car to life.

He pulled out of the parking lot with ease and coasted though streets of Toronto to the apartment Mason and Chaz shared on the outskirts of the city. The car was silent the entire ride there, lost in his thoughts he fought with himself over how to make things up to Jude. The answer was so easy, and so obvious, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Admitting the past would mean admitting it actually happened. Exposing his mother, exposing his family.

Something he wasn't sure he wanted to hash out and deal with. He finally reached the industrious looking building and pulled into one of the free spots. He didn't want to alert the three of them of his presence and he casually leaned against the building wall, pretending to be on the phone while he waited for one of the renters to walk past him, their key ring jingling. She happened to be a young college student, a paper bag of groceries balanced on her hip as she struggled to get the door open and Tommy dashed over to "help" her. She shyly thanked him as he handed her back her keys and then scurried down the hallway of the main floor.

Taking the stairs, he hiked up the two flights to the third floor and tried to remember which suite they were in. His eyes scanned the doors, they all looked identical. He came upon one that had a welcome mat in front of the door, a cowboy hat was depicted in the corner with a winding lasso writing out 'Welcome!' This had to be it.

He lifted his hand and timidly rapt his knuckles against the door. The thumbs of his hands hooked into the pockets of his jeans and he rocked back on his heels again waiting for someone to answer to the door.

After a few moments, the door opened and Mason stood there, facing Tommy, his eyes narrowing at the man before him.

"Mase, who is it?" Jude called out from the kitchen, unable to see past Mason.

"ahhh…no one hun, I'll be right back!" He hastily shut the door behind him, stepping outside barefoot on the welcome mat. He was dressed simply in a pair of faded jeans and a plain white shirt. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest dramatically.

"What do you want?"

"Mason, please. I just want to talk to Jude. I have an engagement party in 3 days and we both have to be there…"

"No Tom, you don't both have to be there. Hell, right now, I don't even think she wants to be with you. And really, that's saying a lot. Because she loves you. She really does, but she can't trust you further than she can throw you."

"You don't understand…"

"No Tom." Mason napped, "You don't understand. Why do you think this is such a big deal to her? Maybe because she was lied to before? When her father cheated on her mother, maybe when you decided to date her sister. Lies, lies, lies. Why not try being honest for once? Would it really kill you?" He leaned back against the door, his legs crossed at the ankles as he looked at Tommy, staring him down.

Mason had been gone a long time for 'no one to be at the door' She dried her hands on the dish towel and made her way over to the door where she heard the voices of two men.

'You don't understand….'

'No Tom. You don't understand.'

Her first instinct was to fling open the door and give Tommy another piece of her mind but she refrained when she heard Mason continue.

She pressed her ear up against the crack of the door and listened to their conversation.

"What do you want from me Mason? How about my mother doesn't like Jude because she's not pregnant with my child out of wedlock like my mother was with me. Or maybe she hates her and hell, me too because music is what mad me leave my family in the first place. Maybe it's because my dad encouraged me to be happy. Maybe that's my problem. I'm happy, and she married him out of convenience."

"Tom..I ah…I…" Mason continued to stutter but Jude backed away from the door, infuriated. Of course, tell everyone but Jude. Because everyone else was not marrying Tom Quincy. And in his mind, everyone else was entitled to know but Jude Harrison.


	24. Chapter 24

"She's inside, staying in the guestroom…. I can let you in, but honestly, I doubt she wants to see you right now." Mason shrugged, his thumbs hooked into the back pockets of his jeans.

"Thanks, Mase. That really means a lot to me…It's just, with everything going on and she wants me to just spill my entire life, man, I've worked so hard to pretend like it doesn't exist anymore. And she just wants me to dig it up? It's the past. What does it matter?" Tommy ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration.

Without saying anything else, Mason moved aside and watched Tommy take a hesitant breath. His eyes were closed, as if he was making one last pact with a higher power before he faced his bride to be. As he exhaled his eyes fluttered open once again and he reached out for the doorknob.

Mason truly felt sorry for the man before him. He wanted to do the right thing but couldn't. He had probably never trusted anyone like that before in his life.

Tentatively walking inside, Tommy slowly looked around the modest and cozy space. Family pictures were scattered everywhere. On coffee tables, walls, the entertainment center. Everywhere. It was overwhelming to him, as he was someone who had no pictures of his family, and only a few of his friends.

He stood dumbly in the middle of the room when Mason gently clasped his hand over Tommy's shoulder, "She's in the last room down the hall."

He took another deep breath and nodded before walking off in the direction of her room. The short hallway was lined with more smiling faces of family and friends. One in particular caught his eye. It was of himself Jude, Sadie, and Kwest. The four of them looked rather cozy with their significant others as they were all squished together on a diner booth.

_"Tommy, get your butt over here!" Jude's cheeks were still a rosy pink, flushed from residual concert adrenaline. She was giggling happily that her tour was finally over and she was able to go home._

_"Whhy?" He whined, pulling the brim of his baseball cap down, shielding his smiling and dancing eyes from his girlfriend._

_"I know what you're doing Quincy. Stop it and get your ass over here." She knew him far too well. Kwest had already complied with his girlfriend's request and was quite cozy with Sadie on the bench. _

_"Fine, fine." He grinned and hopped over to the other side of the table. He wrapped his arm around her slender frame and she snuggled up against him, the warmth of his body greatly appreciated in the cold diner._

_Mason looked around bored with the camera in his hands. "Are you all done canoodling so I can actually get a picture?" He feigned annoyance while they were all cozy with their significant others._

_"Aww, my poor baby, Masey." Jude made silly faces to her tour mate and he stuck his tongue out at her. Jude picked up a greasy fry from one of the several red plastic baskets lined with paper and threw it at Mason._

_"Alright Children." Tommy quickly grabbed Jude's hands to keep her from starting a possible all out food fight in the middle of the small diner. She giggled and pretended to struggle and squirm out of his grip._

_"Wait! Don't move!" Mason lifted the camera to his face and snapped the picture quickly,_

_Sadie and Kwest were smiling at one another, comfortable in the hold of one another. They were obviously smitten with love. His arm was around her shoulder, holding her close. Tommy and Jude however were a sight to behold. He had his arms around her, restraining her. Jude was laughing and her face was completely lit up with life and happiness. Tommy on the other hand was caught off guard and he looked up right before Mason took the picture. He smiled unconsciously but confusion was still evident in his eyes. _

Angry chords being struck brought him back to reality and made the small smile wither off his face. He took the last few steps towards the door and quickly decided against knocking and slowly turned the knob, praying she wouldn't notice initially. Slipping inside the room unnoticed, her back was to the door. Her voice was raw and haunting, tears could be heard as the words leaving her mouth wavered and she struggled to get through the lines of what she had just written.

Without thinking, Tommy leaned back against the door to listen to Jude a little longer when he felt the support give way and the door hit the frame as it shut. He flinched at the noise and noticed Jude go stiff before turning around.

Her eyes narrowed at the figure standing guiltily against the door, "I was going to say-"

"Get out." She set her guitar down on the bed beside her and stood, falsely busying herself.

"Jude, we need to talk."

"Oh, so now you want to talk?"

"Jude, please." Tommy was begging at this point, "we have an engagement party in three days."

"Oh, so you're operating under the assumption that I'm still marrying you? That's cute. Real cute." She frantically paced back and forth, looking like a caged animal. Her hands were restless and moving about, opening drawers and closing them unnecessarily.

"Jude, don't say that. We're still getting married. I still love you. That hasn't changed. It never will."

"So you want me to marry a stranger. And you know, maybe, on your death bed, you might feel like telling me. Just maybe though."

"Jude." Tommy's voice lowered and took the few short strides over to her, grabbing her wrists, holding her still, "please. Let's just get through the engagement party. That's all I ask. My mother planned this, and if we don't go, she'll have won. Again." She was rigid against his touch and it broke his heart to have her so cold and distant. She tried to avoid his pleading stare, and turned her gaze away, looking at the floor. He gently tilted her chin up, and she had no choice but to look at him.

Her eyes were brimmed with tears she tried to blink back, and she bit her lip to keep from breaking down once again.

"Okay, Jude? Please just give me until the engagement party." Her lip quivered at his tone and the way he looked at her. Like she was the only thing important to him and he would die without her by his side.

She nodded, for fear that her voice would betray her. He closed his eyes in relief and gave her a weak smile in return. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into an embrace and never let go, but he knew better this time around. Mirroring her actions, he nodded and stepped away from her. The silence between them awkward.

"I uh, should go." He cleared his throat into the uncomfortable silence, and Jude hastily wiped her eyes before replying in a scared whisper, "Yeah, you probably should."

He turned and made his way to the door, his hand on the doorknob when he turned around one last time and looked at his fiancé. "Jude?" he called out tentatively.

She looked up at him, answering him with her eyes. "I love you, Jude." He opened the door and left before she could respond but all the feelings of love overwhelmed her as her heart skipped a beat and she felt the tears well in her eyes once again. They would always love one another, but she wasn't sure if it would be enough this time.

Tommy walked out of the guest room and made his way back down the hall and into the living room where he made his way to a chair and collapsed into it. His head in his hands.

"Hey man." Chaz made his way over, sitting on the end of the sofa next to the chair.

"I really screwed this one up." Was the only reply that came from him. The tips of his fingers swirled at his temples and he sat hunched over, completely defeated by life and his situation.

"You can fix this, you just have to tell her T. You love her? You want to marry her? You need to be honest." He sat back, observing his friend. He had never been so torn up over a woman before. And this one had him completely broken.

He sat up, and laughed sardonically. "And what am I supposed to say? Tell her that my father never knew I wasn't his? That I was a bastard child? Maybe that I abandoned my family when they needed me? Maybe that I'm terrified of falling into a loveless marriage like my parents?"

Chaz looked at Tommy as if he was crazy, "I don't think the word loveless exists with Jude. You aren't your parents. You aren't doing this because you have to."

"She's reconsidering it." His muffled reply came from him, his head buried in his hands again, hunched over in the chair.

"Reconsidering what?"

"Getting married. Us. Everything."

Jude stood, gripping the wall, her world seeming to spin around her as she heard Tommy divulge more. She slid down against the wall, collapsing to the floor listening to him say that they might not actually make it.


	25. Chapter 25

Jude sat at the vanity watching Portia in the mirror as she worked magic on her hair. Sadie sat perched on the edge of the love seat in the enormous room and gazed around the surrounding area.

"So, this is all yours one day?"

"I'm doing this for his mother, no one else. And I hate that bitch anyways." Jude scowled and yelped as Portia tugged a little too hard on a lock of hair.

"Jude, I'm not Tommy's biggest supporter, by what's with the sudden change of attitude? You were head over heels with him just days ago."

"Have you met his grandmother? She's a sweet woman. Really makes you see people for what they are." Jude crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"Honey, he's not the easiest person to get to know, or love...but you're perfect for him. Don't give up."

A very unladylike snort came from Sadie's vicinity and Portia looked over at her like she had lost her mind.

"What?" she gave her an incredulous back, "You know he has secrets, you know he won't open up. Don't pretend like anyone could change that. Not even Jude. Sorry, sis." Sadie shrugged her shoulders unapologetically but Portia just shot her a look while reassuringly patting the young girl's shoulder.

"He's really not a bad guy. He's grown up a lot."

"If you consider cheating on me growing up." Sadie scoffed.

"He didn't cheat on you, god damnit Sadie!" Jude settled her face in her hands and blinked back the tears as she sniffled lightly.

Portia soothingly rubbed Jude's back and gave Sadie a harsh stare. Sadie just rolled her eyes, knowing she needed to make amends. Walking over to her sister at the vanity, she carefully knelt down, intent on not wrinkling her dress.

"Jude…Jude, look at me." Sadie's voice had softened and her well manicured hand gently took Jude's face from her hands. Her eyes were red and starting to get puffy from the torrent of emotions she had been dealing with lately.

"I love you. And I just want what's best for you….and when I see you this hurt, I wonder if he…I mean, if this is what's best for you."

She sniffled again and smiled weakly at her, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I know." She whispered, her voice giving out on her. She took a deep breath before forcing a smile, "Well….can't let Aubrey see me like this. I should finish getting ready….thanks guys, but I think I can handle it from here. Portia, thanks for doing my hair. I can take care of the rest though." She stood up and showed the two women out of the room. She closed the door, and slumped against it, wiping another escaped tear from her eye and pulling her robe tighter across her frame. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to play happy go lucky fiancé when her life was falling apart. The one thing she cared about was pulling away from her, and there was nothing that she felt she could do to salvage her relationship. There was almost no point in continuing this delusion of a happy relationship…but she was always pulled in, she would always do anything for him.

Heading back to the bathroom, the familiar settings overwhelmed her with happier memories. Getting caught in the shower, waiting nervously for the pregnancy test. It was hard to believe that it was only within the last month or so. Everything was happening so fast and it made her realize that she really didn't know Tommy. Not the way she should. She still loved him though. That would never change. No matter how hard she tried to make the feelings go away.

She splashed cool water on her face, trying to make the redness go away. Patting it dry, she headed back towards the vanity and began to meticulously apply her makeup. The gold tones were smoothed over her eyes and her lashes were hugged in black mascara. Her cheeks were stroked with rosy tones and her lips were adorned with a light gloss to emphasize her perfect pout.

She carefully untied her robe and slid it off her smooth skin. She walked over to her which was draped across the bed. She pulled up the plastic and exposed the silky fabric, her fingers running over it delicately. She pulled the double straps down over the hanger and unzipped the dress, carefully stepping into it. Zipping it back up, she managed to get it only so far. She struggled with it, hopping about in a frustrated manner when she heard a soft knock at the door. Figuring it was Sadie coming back to check in on her, she went over to the door, the soft fabric floated around her legs.

"Sades, can you help me get this zipped- oh." The expression on her face changed and she felt her pulse quicken at the sight of Tommy. He was dressed in a black suit, and looked ready to head down to the party that was waiting for them. 

"I…um, just wanted to see how much longer, until you were ready to go."

She made the fatal mistake of inhaling and catching the cologne that emanated off his body, the scent made her dizzy and goose bumps spread over her body like wildfire.

"I just…need someone to zip me up." She turned and exposed her alabaster skin to Tommy. He took a step forward and she felt the warmth that radiated from his being. His hands gently held her side while the other carefully pulled the zipper up. His hands lingered longer than they probably should have and once he snapped himself out of his reverie, he forced out a hoarse, "done."

"Thanks." She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. She left him standing there as she went for her gold heels. Slipping them on, she turned and gave him a sad smile, his own eyes reflected her feelings. "I guess we should head down?"

He nodded slowly and held the door open for her. He had to bite his tongue, to keep from blurting out how beautiful she looked. It wouldn't help the situation at all. He felt his heart drop at what was happening between them. _Just tell her _rang out over and over again in his head but he just shook the thought away.

She gracefully turned and the wrapped skirt flared out around her body as if it was floating on its own. The soft lighting caught the shimmer of iridescent powder along her collar bone and down into the V of exposed skin. He was completely hypnotized by her tonight. Every thing about her was captivating. As he closed the door, he slowly made his way towards her and she fell instep with him, heading towards the party, and her personal hell.


	26. Chapter 26

"Look! Here comes the happy couple now!" Aubrey's shrill voice rang out above the gentle murmur of the crowd and the small string quartet sitting in the corner providing just enough ambiance to keep the space filled and lively.

The large parlor was filled with family and friends, and others that Jude didn't recognize, most likely people from Tommy's past, a feeling of isolation took a hold of her heart as she looked around, desperately searching for a familiar face to go and congregate with. She just wanted to mingle, plaster on the face smile everyone wanted to see, and go and curl up into her hotel bed with a box of chocolates and a chick flick. Maybe she'd ask Mason to come over for a little bit too. They could talk about how much they hated men together.

All eyes turned to Jude and Tommy as the descended onto the crowd from the grand staircase. Clapping and cheers rung out and instinctively Tommy reached out for Jude's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, catching the large calming breath she took before flashing the crowd the smile they all gathered to see.

Standing in the crowd, you'd never be able to notice their shamble of a relationship that stood as the couple before everyone. They smiled brightly, their fingers intertwined, and they stood in a proximity that only a couple would. The dim lighting hid the fact that their eyes were dead, and their smiles never moved past their lips.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, they were quickly engulfed in hugs and well wishes by friends and family, pulled in separate directions, Jude was dragged off by her close family friends and Tommy by his. He carefully gave her a look to see if she was okay, but she averted her eyes, keeping them downcast and avoiding his gaze.

"Do you want a drink?" Jamie's voice broke through her reverie and she shook her head, snapping herself out of the moment.

"I, would love a drink." A waiter passed with a tray of champagne flutes and he deftly snatched two as he passed, "For you m'dear."

"My hero, as always." She smiled at him carefully and took the crystal flute form him, easily downing half of the drink in one sip.

"Woah there missy, slow down. We need you to be as gracious as ever tonight." His arm wrapped around her waist in a friendly gesture, "You okay, Jude?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. Just need to get through tonight, and go back to my room with a box of chocolates from the gift shop and snuggle with Mason while we watch a sappy chick flick."

"Well if you need anything-" Jamie stopped short, looking over Jude's shoulder, he acknowledged Tommy with a nod of his head, "you know where to find me, but I think someone is waiting to introduce you to the family."

Jude turned around to be face to face with Tommy, his eyes calm and begging for her to help them get through the night without incident.

She nodded slightly without saying a word and let him take her hand in his as he guided her towards the awaiting friends and family. Nearing a group of people nestled in a corner, Jude recognized Anna chatting away animatedly with a few other women close in age.

"Jude, darling!" Anna perked up even more, if possible at the sight of Jude. "Claire, Beatrice, this is the Thomas' wonderful fiancé, Jude." They all greeted her warmly, each woman a perfect replica of Anna, their grey hair pristinely set atop their heads, not a strand would dare to move or fall out of place.

"It's so nice to meet all of you." Jude reciprocated remotely, her smile slightly faltered. Anna was the only one to notice and she nodded reassuringly.

"We've all heard so much about you from Anna, she says you're an absolute doll." Beatrice leaned in next to Jude's ear, "And that you know how to keep your young man in line." She pulled away and winked. Jude laughed uneasily and took another large sip of her champagne, finishing off her glass just as another waiter passed by and she quickly switched out her glass for a new one.

"Well we'll leave you two love birds to be, I'm sure you have plenty of people to meet, Jude, it was lovely to meet you and we'll see you at the wedding, of course."

"Of course." The smile was back, and Tommy swept her away from the three older women.

"Jude, Thomas!" Jude flinched as she recognized the voice, like nails on a chalk board. Aubrey and her entourage of 3 others met the pair in the middle of the room, weak smiles on their faces as Tommy's mother neared them.

"How is the happy couple?" Aubrey's voice was laced with saccharine disdain.

"We're fine, mother." Tommy's hand left Jude's and his arm wrapped around her waist, possessively.

"Jude, I'd like you to meet my sisters and brother. This is Ariel, Charles, and Isabelle. I've made sure to tell them all about you." Her voice drawled out, and her intended meaning was clearly conveyed.

"Oh, only good things I hope." She gave a faltered laugh when Aubrey gave her a pointed laugh and quickly halted her forced chuckle.

"It was what I believe to be an honest mixture." Aubrey gave a tight lipped smirk before turning to one of the sisters, "Isabelle, I don't think I told you," She turned to the rail thin sister, her hair pulled back in a tight twist and she looked as frigid and cold as her sister.

"Now Jude, Jude sings for a living. So, it makes perfect sense for Thomas to marry her." Her hand waved around loftily as if neither Tommy nor Jude existed at the moment. "She is honestly, worth nothing other than her money, so I assume Thomas is with her since he's run through all of his father's inheritance and his silly career in music has long since passed."

Everything froze around Jude and the chatter, laughter and music all faded away as Aubrey continued to babble on. She barely felt Tommy's grip tighten around her waist. The flute of champagne slipped from her fingers and she watched in amazement it slowly fell to the floor.

The crystal flute splintered into tiny shards, the light catching the facets from every side. As the sparkling liquid splattered against the floor, time caught up when Aubrey let out a shrill scream as it hit the silk fabric of her dress.

Jude felt hot tears drip down her cheeks as she wordlessly pulled away from Tommy and pushed herself through the crowd, not caring who was in her way. The room was suffocating and she felt as if everyone was closing in on her. Finally making it to the kitchen, she scared the staff, as she ran through heading for the back door.

Finally making it outside, she kicked off her gold heels and held them in one hand, quickly making it to the center of the garden that Anna had shown her before. No one would be able to find her there. The air was warm and heavy as it clung around her, the smell of rain was in the air.

Winding her way through the tall hedges, the air was heavily perfumed with the blooming roses, She wiped the tears from her eyes and continued as she tried to reach the center of the garden. Finally, the benches came into view and the fountain in the center was lit, the trickling sound of water could be heard as it softy cascaded down into lower basins.

Sitting down on one of the stone benches, she dropped the heels on the ground next to her and rested her head in her hands, the tears flowly freely. So that's what Aubrey really thought of their relationship.

An easy way for Tommy to make money. Well it wouldn't matter now. They were all but over at the moment.

The sound of crunching gravel alerted her of the presence of another person, her head snapped up, and she quickly wiped her eyes again, trying to wipe away the running mascara. The lighting of the fountain revealed Tommy, his hands in his pockets as he stood at the entrance of the garden center. He felt a drop of rain hit his face and the scene before him was all too familiar.

"I'm probably going to be disowned by my mother's side of the family." He tentatively walked towards her.

"I'd hate for that to happen on account of a failing relationship. Just go back, tell them that it's over. I'm tired Tommy," A new wave of tears cascaded down her cheeks, mingling with the falling drops of rain, "I'm so tired of the lies, just go be honest with someone, please. Even if it's not me. Just go and tell them." Her voice broke with the sobs that overtook her body.

He felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he caused this to happen, and there was nothing he could say to make himself believe differently. Making his way towards Jude, he knelt in front of her, taking a hold of her hands within his own.

"None of them knew," his words were tentative, as he saw her study the way her hands looked held in his own. "They all just assumed I was my fathers. Even he didn't know. Never did either. He died not knowing." A crack of lightning lit the sky and the clouds opened up, the rain now falling in a steady rhythm.

"He asked me to take care of my family, on his death bed. That's all he wanted from me. To be happy, find a love of my own, and never forget my family. He left his entire inheritance to me, and I used it to take care of my mother, and everyone else."

Jude lifted her head, looking at the pain in his eyes, "Tommy, I-" He shook his head, the rain still falling steadily, neither of them noticing or bothered by it.

"Every penny I got, went back to her. She was the one who spent it all. It looked like I just ran off with his money, forgetting everyone, but every check that I wrote and sent was from him. From the man who didn't even know I wasn't his. She married him because it was convenient. And because he was wealthy.

"She hates us because you aren't her. Because I didn't get you pregnant, because you aren't looking for money, you're perfect, with every single flaw, you're prefect and I wouldn't change you for the world Jude, you need to know that."

"Tommy,"

"No, wait. I was an idiot, I didn't want to face everything she did, and admitting it to you meant that it all really happened. I wasn't ready to face that, and I didn't want you to have to deal with that."

"You don't have to protect me." She freed a hand and wiped away the drops of water trailing down his face.

"I never want anyone to hurt you, and I'm always the first one to do it. I love you, Jude." He leaned up, kissing her gently before pulling back, the rain water and salty tears mingled on his lips as he studied her carefully.

She gave him a small smile, the first genuine smile he had seen from her the entire night before her hand found the back of his neck, and pulled him into another kiss. Sighing contentedly she was reminded of the warmth his kisses held. Pulling away the faint taste of champagne lingered on her lips as she rested her head against his, "I love you, too" she whispered.


	27. Chapter 27

The murmur of the party could still be heard from Tommy's room as the pair slowly peeled their wet clothes off, Jude's back turned in an attempt at modesty. Being undressed in Anna's house with Tommy feet away still made her nervous and apprehensive. She dried her damp skin again before slipping on the pajama pants and white undershirt Tommy had given her before she got out of her clothes.

The soft worn fabric warmed her chilled skin as she slipped it on. She rubbed her arms to warm them before turning around to see Tommy sitting on the edge of the bed. He patted the bed next to him and she slowly made her away across the room. Instead of sitting down next to Tommy, she crawled past him, laying down emotionally exhausted in the middle of the bed.

"Tommy?" She called out to him quietly and without hesitation he swung his legs around and scooted towards her, pulling her towards his body. They lay like that in silence for as the minutes passed by. He stroked her hair and she sighed contentedly against him.

"Jude," He started. She turned around to face him before he continued. He gazed into her eyes and smiled gently. Her face had a few traces of makeup left and her eyes were still red rimmed from crying but she was the most beautiful thing to him. "I'm sorry Jude, about everything. I should have just told you." His hand wandered up and down her side aimlessly.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she sighed lightly. She had missed being this close to him during the time she had been at Mason and Chaz's.

"My mother had no right to say that, regardless. She just...does whatever she can to knock others beneath her." He tucked a wet lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers barely skimming her skin. "I wish we didn't have to deal with her for the wedding. Can we just pretend she doesn't exist?" He gave a dejected sigh at the prospect of his mother still showing up at the wedding.

"Mmm…I doubt she'll show up. Now that she hates both of us." Jude scooted closer to Tommy still, her head rested on the arm that propped himself up.

"We should just elope."

"Mhmm, I'm sure that would go over well with our family and friends, your grandmother would throw a fit, I'm sure. But it's a nice dream. Just the two of us, exchanging our vows, rings, and no drama."

"Let's do it." Tommy sat up abruptly, Jude's head hitting the plush comforter. "Just you and me. Maybe my grandparents, your sister, and Mason." His eyes were shining with excitement and he helped her sit up, her hands held within his own warm ones.

"You're serious about this." Jude's head cocked to the side and a smiled slowly formed on her lips, "You want to elope."

"I want to be able to call you Mrs. Quincy, and do it with minimal drama."

"Okay." She nodded slowly at first, but as the idea sank in, with more enthusiasm a wide smile on her face now, "Let's get married. Here. In the garden."

"Nothing would make me happier." His own smile mirrored Jude's. He brought a hand to behind her head, bringing her in closer for a kiss. His lips captured her own as his hand tangled itself in her blonde locks. Leaning forward towards her more, the couple toppled over and Jude giggled, trapped underneath the warmth of his body.

Abandoning her mouth, Tommy moved to her neck and gently nibbled on the sensitive flesh. Sighing in pleasure her body arched against his, missing the feeling of his touch.

"Kinky Harrison, you want to do this now, with everyone downstairs but you wouldn't let me get any love when it was just my family?" He pulled away from her, straddling her body and slowly pulled the hem of the shirt she was wearing up to expose the smooth skin of her stomach.

His fingertips roamed the contours of her body, the slight dip from her ribcage, the curve of her waist. She stretched and sighed in anticipation as his hands wandered along the elastic waistband of the pajama pants he had given her. As he continued to explore the canvas of her body, his hand found its way under the waistband of the pants and his fingers came in contact with more bare skin. He grinned wickedly realizing she wasn't wearing any underwear since it had gotten soaked from the rain.

"What a naughty girl, Harrison." His hands left the pants and as he leaned down towards Jude, they supported him, one on either side of her head. He leaned down to kiss her and as their lips met again one of Jude's legs wandered along his side, slowly moving along his body.

"I can't wait, until I have you crying out-"

"Thomas Joseph Quincy!"

Tommy, startled by the appearance of someone else, collapsed against Jude's body with an 'oomph' as his arms gave out in surprise. Looking up, he groaned realizing he neglected to lock the door and Anna stood in the doorway, a look of surprise on her face.

Jude slapped Tommy off of her body and hastily pulled her shirt down over her stomach before sitting up and scooting towards the headboard of the bed.

"Get over here right now, Thomas!"

"Grand-mère," He whined like a small boy as he made his way over to the door.

"As long as you're under my roof Thomas, there are rules that you will follow. I don't care how old you are, young man." Anna wagged her finger in Tommy's face and Jude grabbed the pillow next to her to stifle her laughter as she bit the corner of it to try and keep quiet.

"Grand-mère" Tommy tried to interject; his demeanor and posture changed and was a little more confident.

"Rules Thomas, rules."

"Grand-mère, please." He put a hand on her shoulder, effectively silencing her long enough for him to get more than a few words out. She looked at him, almost in a stunned silence. He had never actually stood up to her before.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Grand-mère. I love you very much, but I'm going to lock this door and ask you to go back to the party now. Make sure all the guests are having a great time, and my mother isn't raising anymore hell." He leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before leading her outside of the room.

Coming back inside, he leaned against the door, shutting it before he clicked the lock into place. Pushing himself off the door he gave Jude a sly smile, "Now where were we."

"You were just about to take advantage of me with an entire party going on downstairs." She threw the pillow to the side and made her way over to the foot of the bed, where Tommy stood, a wicked smile on her face. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she led him back onto the bed, as the were locked in a kiss, the fell back on to the bed as they had before, but Jude quickly rolled them over and straddled Tommy.

Leaning in she gently tugged on his ear with her teeth before starting a trail of kisses along his jaw line. Finally reaching his lips, she placed a single chaste kiss on lips before whispering, "I love you."


	28. Epilogue

"I hope you don't mind dear, I took the liberty of setting up an appointment at a boutique, to look at dresses. Even though you and Thomas want a small ceremony, I couldn't resist." The old woman took a sip of her water and Jude looked at her in awe.

"Anna, you really didn't have to do that."

"Oh I know, but I wanted too. I figured since we were out anyways, I could get you to go and try on a few dresses. It shouldn't take that long." She reached out and patted the younger girl's hand that rested against the wrought iron table they were sitting at.

It had been a relatively lengthy day of getting flowers ordered and taking to the priest who was going to marry the two. They had stopped at a small café for lunch before heading back to the apartment to pack to go back to the estate.

Anna glanced at her watch, "Oh dear, we should get moving, I'd hate to miss our appointment." Jude put enough money to cover the bill and tip on the table before the pair headed out. They strolled along the side walk with Anna leading the way to the boutique she had found and called for their appointment.

Mannequins could be seen in the display window of the small boutique. They were draped in elegant layers of silks and detailed lace overlays, an occasional splash of color would be tied around the tiny waist in the form of wide ribbons.

The two stepped inside and the perfumed air enveloped them; a light smell of roses floated through the air and Jude looked around at the beautiful gowns in awe. She had no intentions of anything other than a simple white dress but everywhere she turned was another stunning creation.

"Oh Anna! It's been so long!" A woman around the age of Anna appeared before them and the two older women embraced before Jude was acknowledged. "Oh and this must be the bride." She smiled brightly at Jude before pulling her into a hug.

"Yes, yes, this is my grandson's fiancé. Claudia, this is Jude. Jude, Claudia."

The woman's eyes widened, "Thomas, little Thomas is getting married?" Anna nodded proudly and Jude couldn't help but to smirk as the women chattered on about Tommy. They continued to talk animatedly with each other and Jude politely excused herself to look at the dresses set out.

Jude reached out and carefully touched the fabric of the dress before her, it seemed to be made of a ethereal fabric as it glided under her fingertips. The tea length dress was a simple strapless dress adorned only with a gold velvet ribbon around the waist. She continued to walk along the wall of the boutique and stopped at another dress. She smiled as she looked back, seeing the two older women catch up with one another.

The next dress was a sleek floor length gown pieced together from a silverish white silk, the simple lines of the dress decorated only with a cowl neck that dipped down from the modest straps of the dress.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Jude turned quickly, startled at the voice of Claudia.

"They all are. I can't imagine picking one, much less wearing it."

"Well dear, I have a few already in a fitting room if you'd like to go back. We can start from there." Jude nodded appreciatively. The three women went into the back of the boutique which was plushly decorated in rich creams in pinks. Ornate furniture sat off to the side of the room and in front of a large tri-fold mirror was a platform. As Jude was ushered into the room she began to try on the dresses with the help of Claudia.

An hour later they still hadn't found anything that spoke to Jude. They were all beautiful but something wasn't right about each one. Getting slightly apprehensive at the dwindling stack of dresses, they were down to three more. Dejectedly going back into the room yet again, she slid the rich fabric off of her body and carefully put on another dress. Claudia fastened the back of the dress and nodded approvingly.

Jude carefully picked up the hem before walking out of the fitting room and Anna gasped when she saw her. "Oh Jude, you look beautiful." She smiled shyly as she made her way over to the platform, stepping up on it and letting down the hem of the dress. It kissed her bare free and hugged her curves perfectly.

"I think you finally found it dear." Claudia smiled behind her, her eyes meeting Jude's in the mirror.

"Yeah. I think I did."

"Jude, you're going to be late." Mason flopped down on the large bed in the center of the room as Sadie helped her put the finishing touches on her hair and make up.

"I can't be late to my own wedding, considering half of the witnesses are here with me."

"Tommy's probably wondering if you changed your mind on him." Mason laughed.

"So not funny! Not after everything that happened." Mason quickly stopped his laughter and looked like a sad puppy that had been scolded. "Oh don't give me that look, I'm just glad that we're finally doing this."

"Hold still Jude, or else I'm never going to finish your hair and you'll never get down there." Jude rolled her eyes and looked straight forward in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself as her eyes scanned over her face. Her make up was flawless and light, giving off the impression of a perfect porcelain complexion.

Sadie fixed her hair in lose curls pinned a top her head and they naturally cascaded down around her face framing it perfectly. As Sadie carefully placed the last bobby pin, she smiled at her sister through the reflection of the mirror, "I think that's it, sis." She gently squeezed Jude's shoulders and smiled at her, blinking away tears.

"Oh Sades, don't cry."

"My little sister is getting married, I'm going to cry, alright?" She laughed lightly trying to keep her composure.

"If you start, I'll start, and then Mason will and I'll be a mess before I even see Tommy." She sniffled and felt the tears pricking at her eyes.

"Oh no, no!" Mason sprang up from the bed and pulled out a small packet of Kleenex, handing one to Jude and giving the rest of the packet to Sadie. "Dab and don't ruin your makeup." He instructed and she laughed at her best friend.

"Let's get you two downstairs before you're both a blubbering mess."

Mason grabbed his hat from the bed, placing it atop his head and offered an arm to each sister which they took giggling at his behavior. With Jude's bouquet in Sadie's hand, the three of them walked from Jude's room down to the kitchen and out the door that lead out to the winding paths of the garden. Jude lifted the delicate hem of her dress as they walked along the blossoming foliage and she squeezed Mason's arm as she heard the faint melody of the trio of violins float up and drift through the air.

The reached the last turn before Mason and Sadie would leave Jude so she could appear on her own. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk with you?" Mason asked her one last time, making sure she hadn't changed her mind.

She took a deep breath in, before shaking her head no. "I'll be okay Mase, thanks though." She gave him a hug, trying to leave all of her nerves with him in that embrace. He pulled away first and held her at arms length.

"You look beautiful, Jude. Tommy's not going to know what to do with himself when he sees you." She smiled at him blinking back tears of joy. Turning to her sister, she tilted her head to the side and studied Sadie who was on the brink of tears herself. She handed Jude the bouquet of red tulips before whispering out, "Love you, sis." Jude just nodded afraid that words would fail her at the moment.

Mason grabbed Sadie's hand and led her to the center of the garden where everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jude. Mason and Sadie must have gotten themselves situated because the trio paused for a few seconds and the silence was deafening.

Jude felt the butterflies rise up in her stomach again and her pulse quicken as she waited for next song to begin. As she heard the opening line from the lead violin she closed her eyes tightly and took one last calming breath before she began her walk.

He stood there fighting the urge not to fidget, but was desperately failing as he rocked back on his heels waiting to see Jude for the first time. His hands were folded together in front of him, and he wrung them nervously as he waited for Jude to appear.

The music was swelling in a crescendo when he caught his first glimpse of her and his breath hitched at the sight. She wore a floor length gown that barely skimmed along the floor. A delicate lace overlay draped over the body of the dress and fanned out from her hips, floating around her with each step as she continued to close the distance between them. A modest v-neck exposed the canvas of her flawless skin. Her hair was swept back in curls and the shy smile on her lips made her look like the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth.

He smiled at the sight of her and mouthed 'I love you' as she neared closer and closer. Reaching the end of the pathway, they stood before each other, all the nerves and butterflies suddenly gone as the music faded away into a comfortable quiet. A light breeze rustled through the rose bushes and birds could be heard chirping away in the distance.

Facing the officiate, he opened the worn leather bound book before him and started the ceremony with the traditional, "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God – and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony.

"Thomas and Jude have prepared their own vows that they would like to share at this time."

Neither had discussed personalized vows with each other, yet they had both done it. Sadie jumped up from the stone bench she shared with Mason and took Jude's bouquet from her. Tommy reached out for Jude's hands, encompassing them in his own. Jude bit her lip in anticipation as she waiting for Tommy to begin,

"From this day forward, I choose you, Jude, to be the one I spend the rest of my life with. I want to live and laugh with you, stand by your side, fall asleep with you in my arms, be the joy to your heart, and to be the best man I can be for you. I promise to laugh with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad, to wipe your tears with my hands, to share with you everything that I am. I will love you with all that I have until we grow old and there are no more days."

Jude's lips pressed together as she tried to keep the tears from falling. As one escaped, Tommy reached up and brushed it away as he smiled down at her. She sniffled lightly and he gently squeezed her hands to give her the strength to continue.

"Tommy, every since I met you, you have filled my world with so much meaning. Thank you for taking me as I am, loving me, and welcoming me into your heart. Our miracle lies in the path we have chosen together and I enter into this marriage with you knowing that love is not about avoiding hardships, but to navigate them successfully, together, hand in hand. I commit myself to the miracle of making each day work, together, for the rest of my life. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives. I choose to spend today, and all of my tomorrow's, with you."

Sniffling and hiccupped crying could be heard and Jude turned her head to see Anna, Mason, and Sadie sharing the Kleenex Mason remembered to bring. She laughed lightly at the sight of them and noticed Henry sitting on the end smiling at his grandson and herself. He winked at her before she turned her attention back to the officiant.

"May I please have the rings?" Tommy reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and placed the two simple platinum bands in the man's hand.

"May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go – may they always return to one another. May these two find in each other the love for which all men and women year. May they grow in understanding and in compassion. Thomas repeat after me…"

Tommy carefully listened to the officiant while he continued to smile at Jude, the love in his eyes, unmistakable. As he began to repeat the words just spoke, he slipped the band onto her finger.

"I Thomas Joseph Quincy give you this ring to you, Jude Joanna Harrsion, as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed."

The officiant placed the second ring in the palm of Jude's hand and asked that she repeat after him. Her hands trembled as she went to put the ring on Tommy's finger, nearly missing. Hold his hands tightly, she repeated after the officiant.

"I Jude Joanna Harrsion give you this ring to you, Thomas Joseph Quincy as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed."

"And so, by the power vested in me by the province of Ontario and Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife – and may your days be good and long upon the earth. You may now kiss the bride."

Tommy grinned widely as his arms circled around his wife's small waist pulling her close to him. He leaned down and was met halfway by Jude's lips as her arms wrapped around his neck. The clapping from the four spectators quickly faded away and it was as if they were the only two in the world. Breaking the kiss, Tommy's lips hovered by Jude's ear and his breath tickled the sensitive skin as he whispered out, "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Quincy."


End file.
